Uneco Land Corporation built an illegal ranch where the Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange of the P35.7 billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) passes through, Silang Mayor Kevin Anarna alleged.
According to the town mayor, the Office of the Local Building Official of the Municipality of Silang, "has no record on file regarding issuance of a building permit, fencing permit and other permits" to Uneco for the race horse stables currently sitting on the 450 meters of land where the Silang Interchange should have Right of Way (ROW).
“The structure they built is illegal. Having a horse ranch there is prohibited,” the Silang Mayor underscored.
"They did not get any permits and they should not have built a ranch there. We have issued notices for their compliance and they have failed to respond,” he maintained.
The undelivered Uneco ROW hinders the completion of the CALAX, preventing the building of drainage and bridges, excavation and roadway earthworks, and installation of fence and coco net.
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To date, the expressway is 64.8 percent complete and should have been operational before year-end 2022, if the ROW issues have not stood on the way.
Already, the opening date of the interchange has been moved several times, the latest target being first quarter of 2023.
The Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange is the fifth of the eight segments of CALAX.
Uneco is demanding P50-60 million for the project ROW, over three times more than the P16 million government valuation, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“We are very willing to help MPCALA Holdings Inc. (CALAX operator) and the national government to fast track the opening of the CALAX Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange,” Mayor Anarna stated.
When completed, the Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange will serve more motorists, including 298,000 Silang residents.
Daily traffic from Mamplasan to Silang Ease interchange averages 33,000.
This will increase to 40,000 when the Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange opens, easing the usual bottleneck along the 41-km Aguinaldo Highway, the busiest main thoroughfare in Cavite, as well as Governor’s Drive and Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road.
At present, the CALAX’s operational segment spans 14.24 kilometers, with interchanges at Greenfield-Mamplasan, Laguna Technopark, Laguna Boulevard, Santa Rosa-Tagaytay, and Silang East.
Other interchanges – Open Canal, Governor’s Drive, and Kawit, are expected to be finished next year.
Ultimately, the CALAX will connect to the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) in Kawit, Cavite.