Camp transfer update sought

CEBU, Philippines —  What happened to the move to transfer Camp Lapu-Lapu to Asturias town from Cebu City?

This is the question raised by former defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro in a statement in which he sought for an update on the memorandum of agreement entered into by the Department of National Defense, Cebu Province, and Land Management Bureau (LMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) more than 10 years ago.

He said the MOA, entered into during his time as defense secretary and during Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s previous term, has not yet been rescinded.

Camp Lapu-Lapu is the home of the Central Command (CentCom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Cebu.

Teodoro said the agreement was based on a case the province filed in court because Capitol donated the land of about more than 1,000 hectares for military purposes only.

However, a big portion of Camp Lapu-Lapu was not used for military operation but is inhabited by informal settlers, including retired military officers and men.

Teodoro said he has not been updated on the agreement after he left the DND when he ran for president in 2010.

He remembers the agreement stating that the provincial government will give DND hundreds of hectares of lands in Asturias where the camp can be relocated and replicated. The AFP will reportedly not vacate the area in Cebu City if the camp is not replicated.

The DND is supposed to take charge of replicating the camp.

“Only after a 100 percent replication of existing military facilities at Camp Lapu-Lapu will the military leave the area,” Teodoro said.

The area where Camp Lapu-Lapu is located in Cebu City is under the jurisdiction of three barangays – Apas, Lahug, and Busay. In fact, Marco Polo Plaza, a five-star hotel, is within Camp Lapu-Lapu.

Camp Lapu-Lapu is also adjacent to the IT Park, a joint venture of Ayala Corporation and the Cebu Provincial Government under the Cebu Property Ventures Development Corporation (CPVDC) signed during the term of Governor Emilio Osmeña.

Board Member Ismael Borgonia, chairman of the Provincial Board’s committee on properties, said converting Camp Lapu-Lapu into a business district will sustain Cebu Province as number one in terms of assets. – JMO (FREEMAN)