IRRESPONSIBLE?

Is San Pedro City in Laguna growing too fast for the city government to handle?

Even as San Pedro City Mayor Art Mercado had pledged to increase the city’s economic potential in his drive to make the city “Una sa Laguna,” some sectors are calling on the LGU to slow down and reconsider whether these development programs come at the expense of the people’s welfare.

A prime example of this “rushed” development, critics charged, is the soon-to-be-opened SM Center San Pedro, now slated for opening by early September or October.

Traffic and floods

Concerns about the soon-to-be-opened mall, situated in the barangays of United Bayanihan (UB) and Riverside, were raised during a recent hearing of the Sangguniang Panglungsod’s Committee on Land Use, Housing, and Urban Development.

During the hearing, attendees raised the concerns that the SM Center San Pedro could exacerbate the already problematic situation of heavy traffic and flooding along the main road leading to the city’s “Upper Villages.”

According to Engr. Julieta Tiñana, head of Office of the Building Permits, there are lay-bys around the mall that could cater to around 20 vehicles for drop-offs. However, speculations are that these will still contribute to heavy traffic in the area.

Meanwhile, SM Center San Pedro went viral on social media last week for causing floods in nearby communities due to a lack of a proper drainage system.

That video, posted by netizen Mark James Lenesis on August 20, has had residents and motorists concerned once again about the dual problems of traffic and flooding near the mall.

"Nagsimula lang naman ang pagbaha [dito sa aming lugar] nung sinimulan nilang itayo ito," Lenesis said in a message to OpinYon Laguna. “Dahil ito marahil sa mga lupang naipon sa drainage nung nagsimula silang maghukay.”

"Actually, hindi naman totally na baha yon, sa may harap ng junk shop kung saan mismo ako nag video maaaring naiipon yung tubig pero hindi bumabaha kasi wala namang drainage sa harap ng junk shop, kanal yung meron doon, kaya tuwing napupuno yung kanal naiipon yung tubig,” he also clarified.

No plans filed?

In a statement to OpinYon Laguna, the City Engineering Office said their office is still reviewing the status of the mall, specifically the plan to put up a drainage canal alongside the mall.

“Sa side naman ng Barangay Riverside, may ongoing kaming instructions mula sa taas regarding sa budgeting para mag-provide ng drainage plan. Ang problema po kasi, kailangan ng roundhole, kasi yung tubig papaakyatin mo yung tubig sa halip na pababa, kaya pinag-aaralan naming maigi,” a City Engineering Office official explained.

Officials further confided that the lack of drainage canals in Barangays Riverside and United Bayanihan has had them concerned about flooding in the area, despite the fact that these barangays are located on high ground.

But the construction of the SM Center San Pedro had reportedly exacerbated the problem of flooding.

The reason, according to some officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to OpinYon Laguna, the alleged non-cooperation of the mall management to their repeated requests for the proper documentation.

That was one of the reasons the opening of the mall has been delayed for some time now, officials claimed.

“As of now, the LGU is still waiting for compliance from SM for us to allow the opening of the new mall,” was how they explained.

As far back as the administration of former Mayor Lourdes Cataquiz, they recalled, concerned officials had repeatedly called out the mall administration to file the proper documents and blueprints, including plans for the construction of a drainage canal on the side of the mall next to a residential area.

The mall management reputedly assured the local government that they will comply with the requirements and shoulder the costs of building the canal.

But when, under the new administration of Mayor Mercado, city officials inspected the mall earlier this year, they found out that SM had not complied with the original plans, including the provisions for a drainage canal.

Not only that, they complained, SM management had allegedly insinuated to other officials, including Mercado, that the concerned officials were to blame for the delays in the opening of the mall.

“Ang problema po talaga is yung hindi pag-comply ng SM doon sa mga hinihingi naming dokumento,” they related.

Catch basin

Residents of a subdivision at the back of SM Center San Pedro had expressed their opposition to the construction of the mall, saying that their subdivision has become a “catch basin” of water during the rainy season.

Other residents have also complained that the cutting down of trees at the site where the mall now stands (an issue that OpinYon Laguna covered as far back as 2021) has also worsened the problem of flooding in the area.

City officials interviewed by OpinYon Laguna said mall management had allegedly entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the homeowners’ association of the affected subdivision for the construction of the drainage canal.

“Pero hanggang sa ngayon po ay wala pa pong naibibigay sa amin na kopya ng sinasabi nilang MOA para sa construction ng kanal,” they added.

As of press time, officials of SM whom OpinYon Laguna have contacted declined to comment on the issue. (With reports by Jai Duena)

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