We are the land owners, business owners, residents, and employees of various businesses in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City.

We would like to emphasize that we are not against the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP). We support our President in His build build build program. What we are against is expropriation of our land not for public use but for the benefit of oligarchs and corrupt government officials.

We are against the overly ambitious, over-sized THIRTY TWO (32) HECTARES "DEPOT" for the Mega Manila Subway Project, proposed by the DOTR and the LGU of Valenzuela City to be put up in our barangay.

We have been calling our President's attention since June 2017. For whatever reason, we were not heard.

Due to the recent breaking news in ABS-CBN and ANC 24/7 "House panel questions route of Metro Manila Subway", we pray now, along with the complaints of Katipunan land owners, our petition will also be noticed and heard.

The following reasons why the DEPOT should not be located in our barangay:

1. Our properties are prime and developed. Two and a half (2.50 km) kilometers of commercial area along Mindanao Avenue will be closed up (if the usage as claimed by DOTR will just be used as depot for the subway).
2. There are BETTER ALTERNATIVES along the proposed subway route in Caloocan City (vast vacant lots owned by very few individuals) and Taguig City (government land).
3. More than 500 buildings will be affected.
4. More than 2,000 employees will be jobless.
5. More than 3,000 families will be dislocated.
6. We are legitimate land owners and there are no illegal settlers in our barangay.
7. Acquisition of our properties with just compensation will cost the Philippine Government so much more, which can be avoided if the depot is placed in the other better alternative locations.
8. We will not give in easily to this land grabbing maneuver under the disguise of eminent domain. Delay is most certain.

The following simple reasons why we say the DEPOT is over-sized:

1. The unjustified size, given the following Philippine railway statistics:
   
   LRT-1: 500,000 riders/day, 139 cars, 7.76 hectares;
   LRT-2: 200,000 riders/day, 144 cars, 8.80 hectares;
   MRT-3 550,000 riders/day, 120 cars, 8.40 hectares (underground of Trinoma);
   
   Proposed MMSP 370,000 riders/day, 200 cars, 32.00 hectares
   
   Given that this 32 hectares will only be for Phase 1 of the project, the entire line actually extends to San Jose Del Monte Bulacan (north) and Dasmarinas Cavite (south). Bulacan and Cavite are the terminus where plenty of Government properties are still available.
2. In a developed country with extensive subway system like Japan, their depot sizes goes between 3 hectares to 7.9 hectares. Singapore boast a 16 hectares depot but like our MRT-3 depot, it is located underground. Depot locations are usually at the terminus of the subway line, outside of prime commercial areas.
3.  The reason for such over-sized depot as explained to us by DOTR and our City Mayor is due to a training center that will be located inside the depot. But this reason was humorously refuted by the top officials of JICA Japan who explained that the training center is, verbatim, "just an ordinary building".

The people of our barangay have been through a lot lately, people who claim they are from the government, presenting fake DOTR identification cards, are using misinformation and manipulation to persuade land owners to sell their properties and residents/tenants to vacate their premises. Some elderly in our barangay even fell ill due to all these harassment and deceit. We need your help to stop this so the people of Barangay Ugong can go on with their lives.

We realize that there are Public Private Partnership (PPP) involvement in big projects like this. Likewise, we can never avoid conglomerates that have the money, the power, and the connections to look for economical means of expanding their businesses and use this opportunity to acquire more land cheaply. As they have the capacity to influence, they do not need to look for land that is actually for sale, or waste time negotiating with sellers, or spend money accommodating and working around unwilling land owners. They may simply exploit the government’s power of eminent domain.

Some of us have been living in this area for more than half a century, inheriting the land from our ancestors. We started dwelling on our lands when roads and basic facilities were non-existent. It is unfair to take away our lands just when our lives are starting to get better.

Our barangay, along Mindanao Avenue, is located in the intersection of NLEX Smart Interchange and Luzon Avenue (leading to Commonwealth Avenue), it is prime and very attractive to land grabbers. Allowing them to take our land is tantamount to obliterating our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of having a good future. This is why we need your help, your vote. 

Your VOTE can save the future of thousands of people living in Barangay Ugong Valenzuela City. Most of all, it can STOP corrupt land grabbers and abusive government officials from realizing their ill and selfish motives. Please share this to all your friends and families.

Visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4g2wwwpJMY​

https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/21/19/house-panel-questions-route-of-metro-manila-subway