By Cielito M. Reganit
MANILA, May 13 (PNA) — After decades of occupying the Batasan Pambansa Complex (BPC) in Quezon City as an “informal settler,” the House of Representatives on Wednesday was formally conveyed the ownership and management of the 19-hectare compound in ceremonies held at the Speaker’s Social Hall of the main building.
The conveyance was done through a memorandum of agreement signed between the House leadership led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and the National Housing Authority led by its general manager Chito Cruz.
An ecstatic Belmonte said that for the record, the Batasan complex is now, for all intents and purposes, formally titled to the House of Representatives, a feat that was forty years in the making.
The BPC is part of larger lot that was designated to become a national government center in 1974 during the time of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
Through the years and through different administrations after the House of Representatives building was built, informal settlers sprouted around the complex to the point where half of the Interim Batasan Pambansa Road was occupied by informal settlers.
Belmonte said that even though they are a major government institution, the House was literally “informally occupying” the Batasan complex like one of their neighbors.
The House leadership deemed it important that as a government institution concerned with consolidating all its assets and resource base, the House of Representatives should have the title to the land it is occupying and has developed through time.
“Though I do not see a time where the House of Representatives would be booted out of the BPC because it does not have a title to the land, it is still very important that the institution has the title to the BPC,” the Speaker said.
“Now, at long last, all rights and vested interests to the complex is now with the House of Representatives as it should be,” Belmonte said as he thanked the NHA leadership for working with them to achieve this historic milestone.
Meanwhile, the NHA chief said that the conveyance of title was finalized due to the able leadership of Belmonte.
“Today marks a special day; the House of Representatives is an ‘informal settler’ no more,” Cruz said.
He said that the NHA is very happy to work with the House leadership to process the conveyance of ownership.
“It is in recognition to the important role the House of Representatives play in national development and to the invaluable service it provides to the people,” Cruz said. (PNA)