8 Councilors Say NO To PALC For Shrine Hills Developer

The eight “conscience votes” from Davao City councilors failed to stop the approval of the Preliminary Application and Location Clearance or PALC for the Crown Communities and DM Consunji development project in Shrine Hills.

Among those who voted NO to the PALC application are Councilors Rachel Zozobrado, Pilar Braga, Karlo Bello, Teresita Marañon, Angela LIbrado, Susabel Reta, Louie Villafuerte and Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz. Councilors Danny Dayanghirang and Halila Sudagar abstained while 13 voted yes for the PALC.

“The issues raised have gone beyond mere legalities and zoning,” Councilor Rachel Zozobrado said. “I am not convinced by what was presented and I still have doubts as to its safety considering that Datu Luho creek is already stretched to its maximum capacity and they did not present any alternative,” she added.

Councilor Pilar Braga said it has always been her position that Shrine Hills should be a protected area. “It should not be pressured with development to preserve it as the emerald jewel of Davao City.” Instead of a housing development, why not make it a nature park, she said.

“The safety of the Maa residents should also be top priority and I believe that no mitigating measure in the future could give the assurance of safety to the people living downhill,” Braga said.

The approval of the PALC for the DM Consunji development project has been delayed for weeks already due to the ongoing debate in the Council as to the safety of the project.

Maa residents, who cited the Cherry Hill incident, have also expressed their opposition to the project for fear that it will result to more flooding and landslides in the area. Maa is located just below the Shrine Hills and any earth movement will affect the various subdivisions located downhill.

The residents however said they are not against the development per se provided an independent study of the stability of the slope is conducted. They are also asking the developer to present a drainage alternative considering that the Datu Luho creek is already congested resulting to flooding in the area whenever it rains.

Councilor Danny Dayanghirang said the Zoning Ordinance classifies the area as residential so he sees no problem with the PALC approval.

“The applicants have already complied with the requirements,” councilor Peter Laviña said. Laviña, who voted yes, said “I believe that all the engineering measures are available to address the concerns about the project.”

Just like Laviña, Councilor Victorio Advincula also said all the issues taken during the sessions are best discussed during the application for a development permit.

Braga Urge Criminalization Of Making Herbal Medicine False Claims

Davao City Councilor Pilar Braga is urging Congress to craft a law that will criminalize the act of making false claims about medicine and herbal supplements.

Braga said it is high time that the Bureau of Food and Drug as well as the Department of Trade and Industry should look into businessmen who take advantage of the wide acceptability of herbal medicines especially in the province.

The lack of scientific study and guidelines on their efficacy or effects to humans should be enough reason to worry. However, the claim of BFAD that these are food supplements and are therefore not under their jurisdiction makes the situation worse, she said.

Braga said the advertisements for these herbal supplements claim that they have many cures and have good effects on health. Take for example the case of an old man who cannot walk because of arthritis and yet suddenly after taking the herbal supplement he is shown to be able not only walk but even jog, she added.

"Many of these herbal drugs are sold over the counter much like the ordinary medicine," she said. She added that even the DOH encouraged the use of herbal medicines.

These herbal medicines should have been studied and tested by BFAD first before being sold in the market to protect consumers not only from falls claims but also from the possible harmful effects of these products, Braga said.

She said celebrities, doctors and other endorsers of herbal drugs should be held responsible when somebody dies after taking the herbal drugs they endorse. Congress, she said, should craft a law that will criminalize the act of making false claims about medicines or herbal supplements.

Braga Urge Gov't, Agencies, Private Groups To Closely Monitor Implementation of Fuel, LPG Price Rollback

Davao City Councilor Pilar Braga yesterday urged government offices and private groups to closely monitor if the concerned entities are implementing the roll back in the prices of fuel, Liquefied Petroleum Gas or LPG and fare.

In a resolution she passed during this morning's council session, Braga cited the Department of Trade and industry, Department of Energy, Task Force Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Land Transportation Office and the Franchising Regulatory Board as the government agencies that should spearhead the monitoring of the price rollback, She also urged other consumer groups to monitor the rollback in the prices of LPG, fuel and fare.

Braga said the prices of oil products have rolled back several times during the past weeks. However, she added, oil companies are quick to increase prices but are not that quick when it comes to reducing the prices when there is a price rollback.

The slow pace in the adjustment of taxi and public utility fares is a case in point, she said.

She said the price of LPG has been rolled back the past week but LPG prices in the city practically remain the same.

Davao City's Support For Senator Gordon’s Text Tax Bill On

Davao City councilor Pilar Braga is supporting Senate Bill 2402 mandating telecommunication companies to remit fifty percent of their text revenues to the government for the development of the country’s education system and health programs.

The bill, which was introduced by Senator Richard Gordon, provides for the creation and funding of HEAP or the Health Education Acceleration Program which seeks to rehabilitate the country’s education and health programs.

The Philippines is known as the texting capital of the world with an estimated 65% of its population having access to a cellphone capable of sending SMS or text messages. With an estimated 400 million text messages sent per day at P1 per message, Braga said, roughly P200 million a day can be contributed to HEAP, a substantial amount that can address the backlogs in the country’s health and education infrastructures.

Braga said the country is faced with a deteriorating educational system with 267 barangays suffering from lack of public elementary schools and four municipalities without public high schools. Majority of the Filipino school children are also undernourished as per World Bank data.

The telecommunication companies are earning multi-billions of pesos a year from text messaging alone with combined earnings of P77 billion in 2007. If half of this can be used to finance the country’s education and health programs then it can go a long way in improving the country’s literacy rate and health programs.