QC gov’t lifts cease and desist order on above-ground construction of MRT-7

A portion of the MRT-7 construction at he QMC. (Photo by Jerome Carlo Paunan/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, March 2 (PIA)—The Quezon City government on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 lifted the cease and desist order against the above-ground construction of MRT-7 Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC) station after ironing out issues with the project proponents and various stakeholders.

This after EEI and SMC revised the project design wherein the area of the above-ground construction was dramatically reduced to 426 square meters from almost 11,000 square meters and the height to just six meters from 12 meters.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte announced the decision after meeting with representatives from the contractor EEI, developer San Miguel Corporation, Department of Transportation (DoTR), Avencena-Quezon family, the National Housing Authority (NHA), environmentalist groups, urban planners, heritage advocates, and park goers among others.

“We thank EEI and SMC for taking into consideration the concerns of the people of Quezon City, who consider the park and the pylon the most important landmarks of the city, by taking steps to adjust the design and reduce the height of the station thereby preserving the park’s integrity. This is truly a win-win solution said Belmonte.

“I would also like to express gratitude to the stakeholders for their active participation in preserving the park,” she added.

With the latest development, Belmonte said there will be no obstruction to the pylon, which has served as the city’s symbol for decades.

“Mapapanatili natin ang view ng pylon. Wala na pong obstructions ngayon sa libingan ni Pangulong Manuel Luis Quezon. Bukod diyan, malaki ang open space para sa mamamayan ng lungsod Quezon dahil walang mall,” Belmonte pointed out.

Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan lauded Belmonte, the Quezon City government and the stakeholders for quickly finding a win-win solution on the matter.

"Nagpapasalamat kami kay Mayor Joy dahil itong prosesong ito ay isang ehemplo na ipagmamalaki namin sa iba naming katrabaho na lokal na pamahalaan na 'tingnan niyo yung ginawa ni Mayor Joy sa Quezon City,’” he said.

On Feb. 18, Belmonte issued a cease and desist order on the above-ground construction after she learned that the design of the station approved by the previous administration had been changed considerably without consulting the local government.

Upon review, it was discovered that the project exceeded the agreed upon area by almost six times. (PIA-NCR)