MRT-7 woes at Quezon Memorial Circle settled
Published Feb 28, 2020 12:00 am
By Chito Chavez
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte lifted on Friday the cease and desist order against the above-ground construction of MRT-7 Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC) station as major issues with the project proponents and various stakeholders, including the controversial design, were ironed out.
Mayor Joy Belmonte (Mayor Joy Belmonte Official Facebook Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
She made the decision after meeting with representatives from the contractor EEI, developer San Miguel Corporation, Department of Transportation (DOTr), Avanceña-Quezon family, the National Housing Authority (NHA), environmentalist groups, urban planners, heritage advocates, and park goers, among others.
During the meeting, EEI and SMC showed a revised design wherein the area of the above-ground construction was dramatically reduced to 426 square meters from almost 11,000 square meters and the height to just six meters from 12 meters.
The above-ground structure is proposed to be only a utility room.
“We thank EEI and SMC for taking into consideration the concerns of the people of Quezon City, who consider the park and the pylon the most important landmarks of the city, by taking steps to adjust the design and reduce the height of the station thereby preserving the park’s integrity. This is truly a win-win solution, said Belmonte.
“I would also like to express gratitude to the stakeholders for their active participation in preserving the park,” she added.
With the latest development, Belmonte said there will be no obstruction to the pylon, which has served as the city’s symbol for decades.
“Mapapanatili natin ang view ng pylon. Wala na pong obstructions ngayon sa libingan ni Pangulong Manuel Luis Quezon. Bukod diyan, malaki ang open space para sa mamamayan ng lungsod Quezon dahil walang mall. (The view of the pylon will remain. There will be no more obstruction at the tomb of President Manuel Luis Quezon. Aside from that, there will be a huge open space for Quezon City residents as there will be no mall),” Belmonte said.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways TJ Batan cited Belmonte, the Quezon City government, and the stakeholders for quickly finding a win-win solution on the matter.
“Nagpapasalamat kami kay Mayor Joy dahil itong prosesong ito ay isang ehemplo na ipagmamalaki namin sa iba naming katrabaho na lokal na pamahalaan na 'tingnan niyo yung ginawa ni Mayor Joy sa Quezon City (We are thankful to Mayor Joy since this process is one example that we can be proud to show for other local governments to emulate. Look at what Mayor Joy did in Quezon City),” he added.
On Feb. 18, Belmonte issued a cease and desist order on the above-ground construction after she learned that the design of the station approved by the previous administration had been changed considerably without consulting the local government.
Upon review, it was discovered that the project exceeded the agreed upon area by almost six times.
Mayor Joy Belmonte (Mayor Joy Belmonte Official Facebook Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
She made the decision after meeting with representatives from the contractor EEI, developer San Miguel Corporation, Department of Transportation (DOTr), Avanceña-Quezon family, the National Housing Authority (NHA), environmentalist groups, urban planners, heritage advocates, and park goers, among others.
During the meeting, EEI and SMC showed a revised design wherein the area of the above-ground construction was dramatically reduced to 426 square meters from almost 11,000 square meters and the height to just six meters from 12 meters.
The above-ground structure is proposed to be only a utility room.
“We thank EEI and SMC for taking into consideration the concerns of the people of Quezon City, who consider the park and the pylon the most important landmarks of the city, by taking steps to adjust the design and reduce the height of the station thereby preserving the park’s integrity. This is truly a win-win solution, said Belmonte.
“I would also like to express gratitude to the stakeholders for their active participation in preserving the park,” she added.
With the latest development, Belmonte said there will be no obstruction to the pylon, which has served as the city’s symbol for decades.
“Mapapanatili natin ang view ng pylon. Wala na pong obstructions ngayon sa libingan ni Pangulong Manuel Luis Quezon. Bukod diyan, malaki ang open space para sa mamamayan ng lungsod Quezon dahil walang mall. (The view of the pylon will remain. There will be no more obstruction at the tomb of President Manuel Luis Quezon. Aside from that, there will be a huge open space for Quezon City residents as there will be no mall),” Belmonte said.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways TJ Batan cited Belmonte, the Quezon City government, and the stakeholders for quickly finding a win-win solution on the matter.
“Nagpapasalamat kami kay Mayor Joy dahil itong prosesong ito ay isang ehemplo na ipagmamalaki namin sa iba naming katrabaho na lokal na pamahalaan na 'tingnan niyo yung ginawa ni Mayor Joy sa Quezon City (We are thankful to Mayor Joy since this process is one example that we can be proud to show for other local governments to emulate. Look at what Mayor Joy did in Quezon City),” he added.
On Feb. 18, Belmonte issued a cease and desist order on the above-ground construction after she learned that the design of the station approved by the previous administration had been changed considerably without consulting the local government.
Upon review, it was discovered that the project exceeded the agreed upon area by almost six times.