BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon
Traffic woes, squatters and rent control law

I was stuck in traffic on Thursday around 6:30 p.m. beside the huge tree at the base of Session Road in Baguio. Suddenly a city government truck with red plate number SUD 325 stopped and the utility worker on the truck sprayed the island plants. The water from the hose was strong and since my window was open, I was drenched with soil from the elevated area. The nincompoop holding the hose just looked at me like nothing happened prompting me to shout at him. I was rushing for my Thursday singing set at Le Fondue and since I didn’t bring along spare clothes, I had to bear the inconvenience.

Earlier on Monday, while walking from the main entrance of Notre Dame Hospital to the other side of the road, I was nearly sideswiped by a speeding blue passenger van with yellow plate number AVY 212 driven by a slim young man. Out of shock, I banged the door of the van and shouted at the driver to stop. He didn’t seem to mind and just sped away.

A couple riding a motorcycle stopped beside me saying they saw the incident. The man told me he got the plate number of the van although I noted it too. He said there are a lot of tarantado (bad people) nowadays in Baguio, urging me to report the incident to the Land Transportation Office or the Dept. of Transportation and Communications.
The franchise of the van should be revoked and the driver’s license should be confiscated among other appropriate penalties as he is a road menace. Somebody could get killed next time with his reckless driving. Paging DOTC Cordillera director Federico “Bong” Mandapat to look into this.

I actually went to park at the area since authorities said parking was banned along Mabini and Session roads from 4-7 p.m. The next day, I parked at Diego Silang around 4 p.m. and went to Luisas Restaurant for coffee. It was there that my neighbor in this paper March Fianza texted me saying cops were taking the plate of my pickup truck.

I went to the area and noticed the rear plate was forcibly taken off. At the windshield was a yellow ticket left by the cops saying the violation was “non observance of TCSS” whatever that meant. The apprehending officer was listed as a certain PO1 Ramos with rank/badge number TM6, All the while, I thought vehicles could park at the area. If parking is also banned along Diego Silang from 4-7 p.m., then why were there a lot of vehicles parked there and their plates were not confiscated at the time the cops got my plate? It seemed my pickup was singled out.

I leave it to proper agencies or officials to act on these incidents. Pangaasi yo Apo! Meanwhile, I reiterate for the nth time, there should be a public hearing on traffic in Baguio so authorities could come up with recommendations on solving the traffic mess. In the meantime, billboards should also be installed in strategic places informing motorists where to park or not and what time or days.

The press should also be informed and if possible advertisements could be placed in media outfits. I consider myself a member of media and should be informed on the matter but if the city government and the police have conflicting versions on what is being implemented as regards traffic, it is indeed mayhem. When I called up the city traffic department earlier, they admitted they didn’t know the latest parking rules in the city. I called up the city police and they also gave conflicting versions on parking along the city’s main roads. I suggest city officials and police get their acts together on this matter. I don’t want my plate confiscated again for no reason.
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Over the years, unscrupulous people, claiming they don’t own houses or can’t pay rent have taken over private and government lots in Baguio even if these are titled. One titled “mother lot” owned by at least 20 present or former employees of the Benguet Electric Coop. organized themselves and using hard earned money, bought the lot beside the former Dominican Hotel.

Since the money was just enough for the lot, they were not able to fence the property. The squatters, some kakailian, built houses and structures in the area without informing the legal owners. When the owners went to confront the squatters, they were driven away with bolos, pipes and poles and told never to return to the area or they could get killed.
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The owners asked the city government to eject the squatters but were reportedly told that they have to pay at least P300 thousand as “demolition fee.” Why the huge amount considering that the owners are also taxpayers? City officials reportedly told the owners to immediately fence the area or the squatters would be back in a jiffy. Where to get the money is now the problem of the owners.

It is a sad scenario, but most of these unscrupulous individuals who call themselves squatters are actually moneyed and have been making a living out of encroaching on other people’s lots. Some reportedly sell the lots to unsuspecting folks and the problem gets worse. They even build structures atop rivers, barangay sidewalks and roads it is a wonder, they often get their way. Residents complain, but for one reason or another, the structure stays. Pretty soon, it is made into a house, a sari-sari store, a grocery or a dental clinic.

If this summer capital is called a city of wonders, it is no wonder. You wonder how the good character of old Baguio folks has been replaced by the greed and ill manners of some people like squatters some of whom have become rich due to their unscrupulous ways. Now, they have buildings which they rent out. Their children, seeing how their parents acquired properties, emulate them and it turns into a vicious cycle.
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How often have we heard of tenants and lessors fighting, suing or killing each other over rent? As things stand, tenants could be ejected anytime by unscrupulous lessors who require high rentals without a contract. They increase rent on a yearly basis and for those who are renting business establishments, this could be hard especially during this economic crisis.

It is timely that Sen. Juan Miguel F. Zubiri urged the House of Representatives to prioritize a new law on rent control as it could benefit millions of families nationwide. “We are looking at creating a regulatory body to have jurisdiction over the rental housing sector with the mission to protect the rights of the renting public as well as the owners of houses or apartments for rent,” Zubiri told a Senate hearing on rent control.

“This new rent control law will protect at least 1.56 million families who pay monthly rent of P10,000 and below. They comprise 97.5 % of the total 1.6 million families who rent nationwide. This latest data revealed that we have an increasing number of families who are renting,” said an email from the senator’s office.
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“When we crafted Republic Act 9341 in 2005, only 1.512 families were renting of which 83 % or 1.24 million families were paying P10,000 and below monthly rent.” Zubiri said, adding in Metro Manila alone, at least 639,000 families will directly benefit from this law once it is approved.

“This law determines the difference between a sleepless night thinking of tomorrow’s rent or having to sleep without a roof over their head. If rents skyrocket, many may be forced to become homeless or move out to very inconvenient housing facilities, or the slums.”
Developers in the National Real Estate Association and the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association reportedly expressed their agreement to his bill protecting the rights of renters and owners.”

According to Zubiri, Section 7 (grounds for judicial ejectment) was “an input from affected sectors such as developers and owners of residential units for rent. Location is critical in deciding to rent. Most of the socialized and low-cost housing projects are too far from the jobs here in Metro Manila. That’s why many decide to rent even if they own homes in Cavite or Laguna to save on transportation expenses.”
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“Aside from the provision on the rent increase cap, we will now determine if this will be a permanent rent control law which will also pave the way for the creation of a body with powers and functions over the residential rental sector. The Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council may be tasked to take charge of the law. We may grant it some enforcement powers since monitoring and enforcement is crucial. They may even have quasi-judicial powers.”

Zubiri said he was willing to sponsor Senate Bill 2884 and defend it as Senator Biazon announced during the hearing that he may seek to inhibit himself during the plenary debate.