DPWH request for GSUP put on hold, pending Mayor Uy’s recommendation

COUNCILOR Roger G. Abaday, committee chair on environment, advised the Department of Public Works and Highways-10 to wait for the endorsement of City Mayor Rolando A. Uy on their Gratuitous Special Use Permit (GSUP) application before the matter be brought to the plenary.

The DPWH-10 has requested the City Council for a resolution, supporting its GSUP application for the construction of the CDO-Iligan Hinterland Road, Junction BCIR–Laguindingan Airport Road Extension.

According to Ms. Lani Ruth Igcalinos, representative of the DPWH-10, the 48-kilometer project is already ongoing, but it was temporarily stopped because it will traverse a forested area; and thus the need for a GSUP.

The GSUP is a major requisite when implementing road projects especially when it traverses forested areas as outlined in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative No. 2022-01, which lays down the guidelines to ensure that government plans and standards are followed when granting licenses to government agencies for the development of projects and public infrastructure within forestlands, she added.

Assistant City Planning and Development Officer Engr. Ardines Cabrera, however, pointed out the need to coordinate with the CPDO, which is currently updating the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) – the basis of the new zoning ordinance of the city.

“If you will not inform us about the infrastructure project, we will not know the zoning division if it is

within forest land or agricultural land,” he added.

Cabrera also reminded the DPWH-10 to provide the project alignment from station zero to the last station before CPDO sends a letter to the local chief executive endorsing their request to secure the GSUP.