Council hears proposed sewage treatment plant at Lower Rock Quarry

March 9, 2020 Community Billboard

The city council, during its regular session on March 2, requested Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), and the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) to shed light on the City Government’s plan to build a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Lower Rock Quarry Barangay.
Carlos Ananayo, former punong barangay and incumbent kagawad of the said place, was also present during the discussion to represent the 21 residents who are affected by the proposed project.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong assured the august body that the city government will do all means necessary to ensure that the STP will meet both present and future requirements and will also pass environmental standards.
Magalong further revealed there will be feasibility studies to be conducted to determine the most strategic methodology to be used for the proposed STP.
Magalong said the construction of the eyed STP might require at least one hectare of land. Arch. Johnny Degay of the CBAO reported that the proposed site at Lower Rock Quarry Barangay measures 1.1 hectare.
According to Engr. Evelyn Cayat, CPD-Officer, the land in question was identified for “City Land Needs” by the City Land Needs Committee in 2016. Cayat said the residents in the area were informed of this in the same year.
The planned utilization of the 1.1 hectare for the proposed project will displace 21 residential structures. Degay and Cayat claimed that the number of structures within the 1.1 hectare of land had increased from 7 to 21 despite their efforts to inform the barangay officials that the same was identified for city land needs.
Ananayo, however, argued that those 21 structures had already been there prior to the land survey done in 2016.
In 2014, 15 barangays made a joint resolution requesting the City Land Identification Committee to identify the area at Lower Rock Quarry for the proposed Waste Water Treatment Facility. The barangays at the time were also proposing a land measurement for the eyed project which is 7,470 square meters (originally 6,000 square meters).
Ananayo requested the city officials to approve the barangays’ proposed measurement in a bid to save the 21 structures from displacement.
The mayor said nothing was final yet including the land footprint/land requirement of the project. He assured the residents that there will be consultations with them regarding the proposed construction of the STP.
Furthermore, the chief executive disclosed that he will meet with the team of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) who will arrive on March 4 to conduct preliminary activities for the said project.
Magalong announced in 2019 that the ADB, an international finance institution, expressed interest in providing needed assistance for the rehabilitation of the city’s present sewage treatment plant and the construction of additional ones near or along Balili River, Bued River, Galiano River, and Ambalaga River.
Meanwhile, Degay said they will soon start fencing the area to avoid “further intrusions.” He made it clear that they will only fence “available” portions of the land and that no residential structure will be enclosed.
 
Jordan G. Habbiling/ABN