Republic of the Philippines

CITY GOVERNMENT OF COTABATO

BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS REGION IN MUSLIM MINDANAO
OFFICE OF THE CITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
People’s Palace, Cotabato City

Excerpts from the minutes of the Internal Briefing on Comprehensive Land Use Plan held on
December 20, 2022 at Golden Lace Fine Dining, RH Mother, Cotabato City.

PRESENT:

GUESTS:
ENGR. JULIETA LOPEZ ZAMBRANO
JESSIE S. ONDOY
MORCED A. QUITUAR

MINUTES OF THE MEETING

 The Internal Briefing on Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) 2020 – 2028 convened
at 2:00 PM and hosted by the Office of the City Planning and Development Coordinator.
 The program started with the invocation led by MR. STEPHEN VINCE LUGI DRAGON,
Economist II and followed by the acknowledgement of the participants by MR. HARON
B. FELMIN, Planning Officer IV and the welcome address of MR. GUIANODIN
ABDILLAH, Secretary to the Mayor.
 EnP MARIA ADELA A. FIESTA, CE, MPA, City Planning and Development
Coordinator presented the Rationale of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan 2020-2028.
 The Ecological Profile was presented through a video presentation.
 MR. STEPHEN VINCE LUIGI DRAGON, Economist II presented the Development
Constraints including the List of Priority Issues and Concerns. Among the development
constraints presented were physical development constraints, non-physical
development constraints, social development constraints, protection services
constraints, and economic development constraints
 MS. NURHUDA SIMPAL, Economist III presented the Development Opportunities and
Challenges as well as the Major Development Goals and Objectives. She started her
presentation with the SWOT Analysis for the city, followed by the Vision and Mission,
and the Major Development Goals and Objectives.
 EnP OSCAR B. RENDON, CE, M. Eng., Assistant City Planning and Development
Coordinator presented the Land Use Trends, Development Thrusts and Strategies, and
Proposed Land and Water Uses. He also presented the hazard exposure/disaster risk
reduction, area’s development potential/geographical advantage, spatial growth trend,
and JICA’s Development Plans for Greater Cotabato and Cotabato City.
 ENGR. DANICA P. JOROLAN, Planning Officer IV presented the Volume III-B
Mainstreaming of Climate Change and Disaster Risk (CDRA) including the legal bases,
guidebook, and result maps for the identified hazards.
 MR. HARON B. FELMIN, Planning Officer IV proceeded with the open forum.
 FOR. JESSIE S. ONDOY, Planning Officer V of the BARMM-MENRE Planning Division
discussed the following key points:
1. One of the priority discussions made during the most recent MENRE Executive
Committee Meeting was the allocation of 2023 budget for the improvement of the
 condition of Timako Hill. Timako Hill was environmentally significant not only to
Cotabato City but to the entire region of BARMM as it also serves as a barrier for
typhoons. It was also classified by MENRE as timberland area thereby considering
the declaration of it as a protected zone to restrict the activities therein.
2. The construction of infrastructures not only at the foot of the hill but even to its
higher areas was very alarming for the MENRE.
3. Is there a city ordinance declaring Timako Hill as a local conservation area? The
existence of such ordinance will make it easier to collaborate with the BARMM
Region in bringing Timako Hill’s concern to the Bangsamoro Parliament.
4. One of the activities that need to be conducted in 2023 is the survey and registration
of the occupants of the Timako Hill. There is a need to resurvey the occupants to
see if the threshold capacity of the hill can withstand the daily thrive of the
communities residing within the area.
5. Cotabato City, despite being known as the “city of rivers and creeks” has a major
problem on flooding. One solution to resolve this is through reclaiming and taking
back those rivers and creeks. Nowadays, houses were built directly above those
bodies of water.
6. During the transition period of the BARMM, Senior Minister Abdulrauf Macacua
suggested the clearing of waterways of Cotabato City to show to the community
concrete evidences of BARMM accomplishments. The BARMM-MENRE also tried to
collaborate with various institutions in programs related to clearing of waterways
including the proposal of “Adopt a River” project.
7. There is also a need to conduct a study on the effect of sea level rise to the flooding
on riverine areas within the city.
8. It is necessary to include in the CDRA the identification of safe evacuation areas
within the city. The MENRE is conducting Vulnerability Risk Assessments (VRA)
through the facilitation of geologists from UP where they are identifying safe
evacuation areas as well as the configuration of these areas especially the
geological and physiological conditions of the soil.
 MS. YEOFEMIA GO-LIZADA, Secretary to the Sanggunian responded that even during
the 15th Sangguniang Panlungsod, a Resolution was passed requesting the DENR to
declare Timako Hill as a preserved area. The action taken ended with the DENR
Regional Office XII conducting a meeting with HON. RIDAO, former Chairman of the
Committee on Environment. But since Cotabato City is now part of the BARMM, the
Sangguniang Panlungsod can request the MENRE to study the possible declaration of
Timako Hill as a protected area.
 FOR. ONDOY added that as for the MENRE, matters regarding the declaration of
Timako Hill as protected area will be faster if actions were taken through the
Sangguniang Panlungsod rather than bringing the issue first to the Bangsamoro
Parliament since the Bangsamoro Government has a number of priority bills that may
set this concern aside. The Bangsamoro Parliament can still suffice the ordinance that
will be created by the Sanggunian. He also pointed out that when it comes to this
matter, actions were subject to private rights which means that all titled lots shall be
exempted from being included in the protected areas.
 HON. KUSIN TAHA, City Councilor stated that the City Government of Cotabato does
not have the authority over the land titles at Timako Hill. Instead, this function was under
the DENR. The MENRE can help the City Government in terms of submitting
recommendations to the DENR.
 EnP OSCAR B. RENDON, CE, M. Eng., Assistant City Planning and Development
Coordinator added that following key points:
 1. The responsibility on maintaining ecological balance should be shared by the city
LGU and the DENR which means that not all the functions on maintaining ecological
balance were devolved to the LGU. However, there is a need to come up with co-
management agreement to define the roles and functions of the LGU and the
DENR.
2. Land titling in Timako Hill areas happened way before and there are a lot of areas
already with land titles. The good thing is that there now exists MENRE which sees
this issue better and closer than the DENR so actions can be faster.

 EnP MARIA ADELA A. FIESTA, CE, MPA, City Planning and Development
Coordinator asked the CENRO and CDRRMO if there exists a study on the effect of sea
level rise to the city’s rivers and problems on flooding and suggests conducting such if
there aren’t any. With regards to the issues on flooding, she stated that during Typhoon
Paeng, it was evident that the situation was very critical not just in Cotabato City but
even nationwide. She also added the following key points:
a. With the rivers heavily silted, the BARMM Government through the MPW can
support the city LGU by providing dredging machines
b. The rivers were also already inhabited
c. The throwing of wastes in the rivers also contributes to this problem

 EnP MARIA ADELA A. FIESTA, CE, MPA, City Planning and Development
Coordinator also added that during the visit of Conservation International, the city LGU
proposed the Rehabilitation of Bagua Creek. The City Government believed that the
Bagua Creek can serve as the pilot project area and if successful, can be extended to
the other water bodies of the city. However, the government is still looking for fund
source knowing that the project was a bit costly. She also supports the suggestion of
FOR. ONDOY on “Adopt a River” project.
 MS. JANICE-ZAH MACAPANTAR, HHRO VI of the MHSD-BARMM provided the
following insights:
1. On land supply and demand should be highlighted so that necessary interventions
can be easily identified with the shortage of supply on land
2. To make it easier for the public to understand the CDRA, the presentation should
focus more on the outputs, implications, and policy interventions and lesser stress
on the detailed technical data.
3. On proposed and existing land use, based on the new guidelines, projection and
production forest should be separated. Protection areas and conservation areas on
timberlands and agriculture should be reflected also.
4. On water use, mangroves should also be reflected on maps.
5. The MHSD-BARMM will also coordinate with the Office of the City Planning and
Development Coordinator for other comments and recommendations after providing
them with the copy of the CLUP draft.
 HON. FLORANTE “POPOY” FORMENTO, City Councilor gave his closing remarks to
end the program.