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Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Voluntary demolition of Clark squatters set
By Fred Roxas

CLARK ECOZONE -- Clark Development Corporation (CDC) authorities said
illegal squatters have agreed to voluntarily dismantle illegally-constructed
commercial stalls and residential shanties within the 12-hectare Bayanihan
Park in front of the main gate of Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) here
starting Tuesday.

CDC President Emmanuel Y. Angeles said the voluntary demolition of the
illegally constructed houses and stalls along the park, a property of the
state-owned corporation, was agreed upon after a series of consultations and
negotiations with the occupants of the illegal structures since 2002.

Angeles said the demolition of all illegally constructed structures in the
park is in preparation for its development into a world-class theme park and
tourist area.

Angeles said the CDC has appropriated an initial fund of P20 million for the
construction of 200 commercial stalls and additional P3.2 million for
assistance to the 96 residential shanties that will be affected by the park
development.

Pepito Galang, CDC vice president for operations and technical services,
said all the 165 commercial stall owners in the park would be given priority
to own and lease the stalls measuring 18 square meters with individual
toilet facilities. Each stall will be rented at P3,000 a month to present
stall holders.

Families whose shanties will be demolished will be granted financial
assistance of P20,000 to P30,000 each, an option they chose to help them
transfer to places of their own choice.

Galang said amount of the stalls and financial assistance were agreed upon
during the consultations so as not to displace occupants once the
construction commences this month.

The local government of Angeles City through its Local Urban Poor Affairs
and Housing Office (Lupaho), represented by Amus Rivera, and various
cooperative members at the Bayanihan Park were also present during the
negotiations and consultations.

Illegally constructed residential shanties and commercial stalls have
occupied the Bayanihan Park since the pull-out of American troops from Clark
shortly before the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in June 1991.

The management of SM Mega Mall earlier has pledged an initial amount of P50
million for the further development of the Bayanihan, according to Angeles.
An SM mall is scheduled to be constructed near the park.

The proposed world class Bayanihan theme park will also include the
construction of Chinese, American, Japanese and other international gardens,
modern sports and recreational facilities, Angeles said.


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