Mandaue exec to zoning body: Review conditions on permit

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Planning and Development Office architect Florentino Nimor yesterday said he will suggest to the City Zoning Board to review the conditions set in the applications of "variance permit" in the city.

This was after residents, living at J.M. Ceniza Street in Sitio Superior of Barangay Looc, this city, have demanded for the revocation of a variance permit issued to Oriental Port and Allied Services Corporation, a container van yard operator.

Nimor, a member of the CZB, said he will suggest next week for a review of the conditions set in the application of "variance permit" after the residents alleged that the container yard poses risk to their lives and causes damages on their narrow roads.

Nimor said he personally went to the area, saw for himself the activities of Opascor, and found that 20- to 40-footer vans have been passing the narrow road at least 20 times a day.

He was also able to confirm from the police about an incident in the area where a container van sideswept and injured a student passing by the place.

Nimor said there was no truth that he did not act on the matter, as alleged in a petition letter by Looc Barangay Chairman Cesar Cabahug and some residents. The letter was addressed to the mayor and he already acted on it before he got a copy of it recently.

Such complaint against Opascor was already relayed to the city government last year, Nimor said. A joint team from his office and the City Legal Office then conducted an on-site inspection but it was found out that Opascor did not commit any violation and was able to comply with what has been stipulated in the provisions for the issuance of the permit.

Nimor said that, during the inspection, the container yard did not commit any violation because the maneuvering area of the vans was inside the compound itself. He added that he will however raise these observations during the weekly board meeting next week.   (FREEMAN )