Cobras in Davao City high-end subdivision

Filinvest housing project under fire

By ROGER M. BALANZA

 

          High water rates at a high-end housing project in Matina Pangi in Davao City are not only the complaints of residents.

          Deadly cobras made home of tall grasses that grew on vacant lots putting lives of the residents in extreme danger. The residents also make do with a rickety footbridge in Matina Pangi as their main passage, as the developer built a main entrance at the South Diversion Road—a farther route—contrary to sales offer by the company.

          The City Council is investigating the alleged anomalies of Filinvest’s Orange Grove Project, as buyers in the city become vocal in raising complaints against erring developers who leave subdivisions wanting in facilities after making a huge pile from the projects.

          In Eden, a farm lot buyer in the posh highland subdivision Mountain Haven wants a slope at the back of his expensive house rip-rapped to prevent erosion—at the expense of the developer.

          A similar problem could arise in sloping Matina Shrine Hills where Crown Asia of Senator Manny Villar and DMCI-UPDI of the Consunji Group are developing high-end subdivisions on a site of an old landslide. The Matina projects are being opposed by subdivisions lying below the 300-meter hill, who feared landslides and massive flooding for lack of a suitable drainage system.

          The committee on housing, rural and urban development chaired by councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling on Friday heard the complaints of Orange Grove buyers, who recounted cobras invading their homes.

          The buyers also said Filinvest failed to provide water pipelines to their homes on higher elevations forcing the Davao City Water District to charge double the regular fee to answer for cost of pumping water to upland want tanks—and charging residents commercial rates.

          The residents also accused the developer of failing to fulfill its promise to construct a perimeter fence around the subdivision and for not repairing the footbridge at the Matina Pangi side of the subdivision.