Even commercial, govt structures squat by San Juan River

If you thought only homeless families and their makeshift houses line the length of the San Juan River, think again.

Warehouses and chapels, covered basketball courts and private offices, pig pens and bird cages, a furniture shop and a barber shop, a computer shop and a slaughter house, a swimming pool and a barangay multi-purpose hall, a handful of factories and even two barracks of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)—all of these are sitting along the three-meter easement of the river, a tributary of the Pasig River.

And sprinkled liberally like rock salt between them all lie the shanties. But one need not say that, just like salt, these structures are harming the river and anything living in and off it.

Unfortunately for these structures and establishments, there is nothing for it but their demolition.

Covered court and chapel

Depending on their location, some structures will be demolished wholly, while others will be chopped in half; and for some, only a portion.

In Brgy. Batis, for example, residents will have to let go of a portion of their covered court and chapel which are within the three-meter buffer zone.

"Wala na kaming basketball court," laments 16-year old Lito, who was playing ball with his friends when GMA News Online visited the area Tuesday.

Baguio Oil outpost

Even local company Baguio Oil will need to demolish their garage and outpost, which encroach upon the river's easement.

Baguio Oil has yet to issue an official statement on the issue but one of its staff said authorities have yet to coordinate with them.

When asked about this, Engr. Danilo Mercado of San Juan Engineering Department said it is the city's legal department that is discussing the matter with Baguio Oil owners.

"May legality pa yan eh, so si city chief legal officer (Romualdo) delos Santos ang nakikipag-usap sa kanila," he told GMA News Online over the phone.

Ma. Fe Pesebre, NHA Resettlement and Development Services Department, said the company should initiate the demolition because they are occupying an area they were not supposed to use.

"Dapat sila ang mag-initiate kasi hindi dapat tayuan ng structure ang easement," she said, referring to the Water Code of the Philippines.

Article 51 of the Water Code reads thus:

"The banks or rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout their entire length and within a zone of three (3) meters in urban areas, twenty (20) meters in agricultural areas and forty (40) meters in forest areas, along their margins, are subject to the easement of public use in the interest of recreation, navigation, flotage, fishing, and salvage."

"No person shall be allowed to stay in this zone longer than what is necessary for recreation, navigation, flotage, fishing or salvage or to build structures of any kind," it adds.

City pound

San Juan City will also need to find another location for their city pound, which will also be affected by the clearing operation.


City Veterinarian Jerry Alcantara said he already talked with Mayor Guia Gomez, Department of Interior and Local Government and MMDA on the possible relocation of the city pound.

"May prinopose na akong lugar, sana maayos na iyon bago magsimula yung demolition kasi requirement sa isang local government na magkaroon ng city pound," he said in a separate interview.

When asked why the local government allowed the construction of its office in an area considered as a danger zone, Mercado and Alcantara answered that the structure was constructed before their term but they will abide by the demolition order.

"Noong araw pa yan, ngayon tatanggalin na, city government ang magtatanggal," said Mercado.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima earlier said they are preparing charges against people who own structures that encroach on waterways.

The national government is eyeing the completion of the relocation of illegal settlers and clearing of waterways in 12 months.

The relocation began Monday in Brgy. Salapan, San Juan City with 86 families transferring to San Jose del Monte Heights in Muzon, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. — VC, GMA News