Dumaguete may return property to owners

CEBU, Philippines — In the event the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) disapproves the use of the lot for a sanitary landfill (SLF), the Dumaguete City government has the option of returning the property to the vendors, spouses Francisco and Salvacion Divinagracia, who also should return the money paid for the sold land.

This provision was stipulated in the approved resolution of the City Council, during the special session held last December 12, granting Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo the authority to enter into an amended contract and sign the revised deed of absolute sale for and in behalf of the city government and the Divinagracia spouses.

The voting for the resolution, authored by Councilor Joe Kenneth Arbas and seconded by Councilor Lani Ramon, was seven "ayes" against two "nays" with one absent, said City Council secretary Arthur Fran Tolcidas.

The lot is located at Barangay Candau-ay, with an area of 30,530 square meters, and being sold at P615 per square meter or a total of P18.7 million.

According to Remollo, the stipulation in the contract is very rare because the vendors also wanted to help the city, but he assured that there will another option than returning the property to the Divinagracia couple.

The city may utilized it instead for a housing project or a community park, among other plans, considering that the lot was already classified as industrial, under the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, said the mayor.

Remollo recalled that, about six years ago, the National Housing Authority (NHA) bought a lot along the boundary of Dumaguete and Bacong town at P600 per square meter for a housing project for typhoon Sendong victims.

He said the latest lot acquisition by the city is deemed "very cheap" compared to the appraisal value of P850 per square meter.

Remollo also belied reports of a cheaper lot, adjacent to the Divinagracia property, for use as sanitary landfill of the city because the zonal valuation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue for the area is already placed at P500 per square meter. (FREEMAN)