THE city government of Caloocan recently ordered the reconnection of electricity to Pangarap Village in time for Christmas despite the refusal of a real estate developer to let government vehicles and utility providers through to the settlement.
Carmel Development Inc. had been denying access to Pangarap Village despite a writ of preliminary injunction issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 123 last April 25, 2016 ordering the access of service and utility providers into the village located in Barangays 181 and 182, the city government said.
CDI did not heed the court’s decision as Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan received mounds of complaints from residents of Pangarap who lack power for their homes.
Malapitan then turned to the local police, public safety and barangay personnel for assistance for the reconnection of electricity to the village.
“For humane reason, especially it’s Christmastime, we also want our residents in Pangarap to enjoy in celebrating this season,” the mayor said.
Pangarap Village sits on a 156-hectare property in Barangays 181 and 182 in Caloocan North. It was declared a resettlement area in 1973 by then President Ferdinand Marcos, but Presidential Decree 293 was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1988.
Carmel Development then staked its claim on the property and tried to make the resettled families leave to clear the land for the $1.12-billion MRT Line 7 project proposed by the national government, which would pass through the area, the city government said.
Malabanan even wrote CDI allow access to Pangarap Village, especially to workers of utility firm Meralco, to repair their electrical facilities.