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By Rommel C. Lontayao, Reporter
Newly appointed Anna Maria “Bambi” Harper
said the relocation of illegal settlers in the Walled City will be
among the top priorities of the Intramuros Administration, which she
heads for the next 18 months.
Harper, who took her oath as Intramuros chief
about two months ago, said unless the squatters are relocated, the
development of the area into a renowned tourism and heritage site
will not progress.
“We are not only dealing with illegal settlers
here. We are dealing with criminal syndicates, illegal drug trades,
prostitution, theft and other unlawful activities when we say that
we want Intramuros to be cleared of squatters,” Harper told The
Manila Times in an exclusive roundtable interview Thursday.
She emphasized that investors will not come in
as the squatting problem is not resolved in the historical enclave.
“We can not attract investors when there is no
order. The government’s responsibility is to put some order in
Intramuros, because at present, there is no order,” she added.
To carry out the plan, she said she is
negotiating with other government agencies and units to look for a
relocation site for the squatters. She also said the affected
families, numbering about 2,500, must be given financial aid.
Harper admitted that the issue on the
squatters’ relocation and of persuading Intramuros businesses and
residents to conform with building requirements in this part of the
city, is sensitive. She had already received three death threats
over the past three weeks she had received her assignment as
Intramuros Administration chief.
Under Presidential Decree 1616, the Intramuros
Administration is responsible for implementing regulations
pertaining to zoning, building height, dimensions, architectural
style and designs, and other specifications of the buildings inside
the Walled City.
The agency is also authorized by law to require
private holders to modify the design of existing buildings so as to
comply with its approved specifications.
Harper, however, said the existing laws are
almost toothless as they only require an offender to pay
administrative fines. In one occasion, one offender paid P15,000. Of
this amount, P10,000 went to the Intramuros Administration, and the
rest went to the Manila city government.
“What I am proposing is to have a fine of P500
per day that the offender doesn’t conform. In that way, they will
be pressed to immediately conform with what was provided by the
law,” she said.
Harper added that her agency is coming up with a
list of nonconforming firms and individuals.
Besides these, she said her office, with the
help of the government and the private sector, will lead in the
construction of new museums and other businesses, organizing of
events, and in the restoration and preservation of heritage sites
and historical artifacts.
“There are things that we can do despite all
the problems in Intramuros,” Harper said, adding that we should
recognize that the root problem is that “many never treated
Intramuros [as] a special heritage site.”
“Intramuros is the only tourist attraction in
Manila. It is an asset that can give us, not only money because of
tourism, but also a sense of pride in our culture and heritage,”
she said.
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