Phillip Willoughby is the UDP Standard Bearer for Port Loyola - and tonight, he's telling residents of the Port to come to him if they need to get their land papers straightened out. Now, if you know anything about the social milieu in Belize, you'll know that getting land documents is a huge problem. Well, Willoughby is tackling it head on. In a press release he says, quote, "we are calling on those residents…who have concerns about land issues to call me at 615-9793, visit my office at Rogers Stadium or direct message me on Facebook."
That's pretty bold if you know how many tough land issues there are out there! We asked him more about it today:..
Phillip Willoughby, UDP Port Loyola Std. Bearer
"You still haven't followed the process to get your documentation in order and you would like to now pursue that and do that. That is what I am here to do in assisting the constituency and you will get that done. Now what I am saying to the constituent, look, if you come with your document, I will answer my phone, I will return your call. Because it is my job. You elected me to serve you and I am telling by substantiate within my work that I deserve to represent you and so I am going beyond the call of duty. I am going the extra mile to ensure that my constituents is taken care of. There is nothing wrong with that."
Reporter
"You are opening up the flood gates. Do you know what you're inviting? Do you understand` how complicated land tenure issues are? Especially in areas like this that has a lot of squatting and improvised living situations."
Phillip Willoughby, UDP Port Loyola Std. Bearer
"If you further to read the release, we're saying we don't want the replication of what happened again in the Lake Independence area. We don't want what happened in the Belama phase 4, 5 and beyond to replicate itself and happen in the Port Loyola constituency. So let's get it right. If we can get it right, let's work to regularize the situation, get it done properly. You can't expect that you are going to squat somewhere illegally and want the government to regularize that. That won't happen. We are not here to do that. We are simply saying that residents who live on their land, built that land and they don't have their papers in order. We are here to work with those residents to get it in order."
Reporter
"Have you already a channel within the government to say we have issues and we will bring them for early resolution, because we know that unless you are a well-connected person, putting any name or any request at lands department, it will be years before you get any outcome and the outcome might not even be as you wat it to be."
Phillip Willoughby, UDP Port Loyola Std. Bearer
"I stand to be corrected and I see it differently."
As you heard Willoughby say - he's not dealing with squatters issues. again, his number is 615-9793 for Port Loyola residents.
Email
Print