Who Own the lots in Compania Maritima?

The Cebu City officials will inquire from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on who really is the owner of the lot near the old Compania Maritima, which the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) claimed to be theirs.

During the meeting of the Coastline Management Board (CMB) last May 16, the CMB members discussed the CPA’s move of closing the ingress and egress to the viaduct at F. Gonzalez Street situated in Barangay Ermita, and also that of P. Burgos Street near Compania Maritima building.

The CMB members composed of representatives coming from City Hall departments were not happy when the CPA officials fenced the entire lot bounded by M.L. Quezon Boulevard and the service roads connecting D. Jakosalem Street and F. Gonzalez Street to the viaduct, where it was made as Material Recovery Facility of Barangay
Ermita.

CPA legal officer Yusop Uckung said the three parcels of lots that were part of the areas reclaimed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) when it constructed the ramp and tunnel passing Plaza Independencia, were turned over to the CPA by the DPWH through a Memorandum of Agreement.

But even Mayor Michael Rama questioned the claim of the CPA officials that the properties belong to them. “Ila na? Naa sila’y dukomento ana?” the mayor said.

CPA wanted to fence the other portion of the lot beside the old building of Compania Maritima including the former Quezon Boulevard that is no longer being used for vehicles, but the Office of the Building Officials (OBO) stopped the fencing project.

Uckung earlier said that it is not illegal for the CPA to build a fence and other infrastructure projects even without permit from OBO, if the project is conducted within the port zone.

But Rama rejected the argument of the CPA lawyer and ordered for the removal of the fence, although City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete is trying to settle the matter in a peaceful manner.

The National Building Code of the Philippines provides that “no person, firm or corporation, including any agency or instrumentality of the government shall erect, construct, alter, repair, move, convert —without first obtaining a building permit from OBO.