Tuesday, April 22, 2008 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
UPSCALE residential developer Landco Pacific Corp. (Landco) is determined to finish the fifth detention pond for its local development, Monterrazas de Cebu, to deal with the flooding issue surrounding the project.
Landco president and chief executive officer Alfred Xeres-Burgos Jr. said the detention pond is targeted to be finished by the end of May.
In an interview with reporters Friday, Burgos said this is the company’s immediate response to the mudslide incident last week that affected 12 families in Barangay Guadalupe.
“Glitches happen when carving a raw diamond into a gem. We are taking steps to help the City mitigate the water run-off problem,” he said.
Monterrazas de Cebu, whose development started in April 2007, spans four kilometers and 200 hectares of land covering portions of Barangays Guadalupe, Tisa, Labangon, Buhisan and Sapang-daku, all in Cebu City.
On Monday last week, families of Sitio Dakit in Barangay Guadalupe woke up early dawn to find their belongings floating in six-foot-deep muck after heavy rains washed mud and limestone affecting residents downhill.
This incident prompted Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to issue a revocation of the project’s development permits until Landco can rehabilitate its detention ponds and the City is satisfied with its flood control infrastructure.
Revoked
“We accept the revocation. We are happy that the Mayor is constantly reviewing our work,” Francis Ceballos, Landco executive vice president and chief operating officer, responded.
Ceballos said Landco will once again meet with Osmeña hopefully to discuss the project development once the fifth detention pond is finished.
By the end of the year, Burgos expected the completion of eight detention ponds for Phase 1 of Monterrazas de Cebu, indicating the firm’s commitment to protect the environment and comply with city regulations.
Last February, Landco inaugurated the first four of a series of detention ponds, each designed to hold 2,000 to 3,000 cubic meters of rainwater.
Earlier, Michael Reyes, Landco vice president and head of the Visayas and Mindanao group, said the company is planning to construct 25 to 30 detention ponds—each costing about P2 million— to cover the entire 200-hectare development.
“We will also study how to retain the rainwater, maybe through filtration, water treatment etc.,” he said.
Burgos said Landco developed its “Storm Water Management Concept,” which is consistent with the proposed Cebu City Drainage Master Plan.
This extensive storm contingency program will develop an on-site storm-water detention infrastructure designed to be 20 percent above the requirement of the Cebu City master plan, a company statement read.
The project’s overall drainage basin will cover the entire drainage system of the Linap Creek catchments with an estimated total area of 760 hectares.
Despite the flood issue and the revocation of the development permits, Burgos is optimistic that these concerns have not affected the market interest for Monterrazas de Cebu.
“Cebu has a very mature market. Glitches like these will reinforce the fact that we are doing something about the water drainage problem of the City,” he said.
To signify its confidence in the local real estate industry, Landco launched last Friday its Northridge enclave component, a portion within the development which offers lots for the middle-high residential market segment.
Monterrazas de Cebu is a joint venture of Landco and Genvi Development Corp., which is headed by siblings Augusto and Margarita Villalon.
The entire mixed-use enclave will feature a line of upscale real estate products—such as houses and lots, townhouses, condominiums—health institutions and a village commercial center to complete the lifestyle needs of its residents. (MMM)
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