Land swap review won’t affect dwellers

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Raymond Garcia has assured the occupants of the 93-1 lots that they will remain in their places even if the land swapping deal between the province and the city is under review.

Garcia said they have initially agreed to return the properties subject of the deal to its original owner and start the renegotiation.

On August 3, 2018 former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña and former governor Hilario Davide III signed the Deed of Donation and Acceptance of the lots covered by Provincial Ordinance 93-1.

In the deal, more than 4,000 residents living in 11 barangays of the city are expected to benefit from it. They are occupying the Capitol lots that were announced as socialized housing sites under the Ordinance 93-1.  It was in December 2016 when Osmeña and Davide signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the land swap deal between the city and the province.

However, it was reported that there was no prior legislation from their legislative bodies that authorized the former mayor and the former governor to enter into a land swap deal making the agreement allegedly illegal and irregular.

On October 28, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia had a meeting with the city officials to discuss the deal involving the lots. The ordinance covers the land swap agreement that involves 32 hectares of provincial property occupied by 4,000 Cebu City residents.

By virtue of the deal, the province donated 32 hectares to Cebu City in exchange of city-owned lots, including Block 27, Block 27A, Block 27B which span 3.3 hectares; a 13,711-square -meter separate treatment plant; a 2,476-square-meter City Abattoir, 2.5 hectares at the South Road Properties (SRP), and nine hectares at the Pulpogan Property in Consolacion.

Garcia said the city and the province will jointly conduct an appraisal of the properties to determine the market values.

"Nothing is final. We're just discussing options," said Garcia.

He said that based on the results of the appraisal, the city government can propose to the province to buy the property in cash.

Another option, he said, is to swap it with a new property like giving the two-hectare-property at the South Road Properties, so that the South Bus Terminal will be transferred there.

In that way, no bus from the south will enter the city anymore to help decongest the traffic at the Natalio Bacalso. Garcia said it could be a mixture of both depending on the negotiation.

He assured that the options mentioned would benefit both the city and the province. Garcia said the representatives of the city and province are set to meet again after the New Year. (FREEMAN)