Archival forms body to oversee 93-1 deal

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has established a new mechanism to address the long stalled 93 1 land swap, with the hope of finally ending the prolonged uncertainty that thousands of urban poor families have endured for more than three decades.

Through Executive Order No. 083, Series of 2026, signed on July 3, Archival created the Cebu City Government Technical Working Group to serve as the city’s lead body in resolving, implementing, and monitoring the agreement.

The TWG is composed of representatives from the mayor’s and vice mayor’s offices, the City Legal Office, Assessor’s Office, Planning and Budget Offices, Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP), National Housing Authority (NHA), Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), and several homeowners’ associations directly affected by the Provincial Ordinance 93 1. Civil society groups such as the Pagtambayayong Foundation and the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor are also part of the body.

The 93 1 issue dates back to Provincial Ordinance 93 1 of 1993, which allowed urban poor families occupying province owned lots in Cebu City to purchase the land on installment. The ordinance covers more than 32 hectares in 11 barangays.

However, many residents failed to complete their payments by the 2004 deadline, leading to eviction notices from the Cebu provincial government.

Negotiations for a land swap where Cebu City would exchange properties such as parcels at the South Road Properties and the North Reclamation Area were pursued to secure tenure for the settlers.

An agreement was signed in 2016 by then mayor Tomas Osmeña and then-governor Hilario Davide III, but later revoked by former governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who instead proposed selling the lots directly to residents through Pag IBIG Fund.

That plan faced resistance due to high zonal valuations, ranging from P51,000 to P70,000 per square meter, which residents argued were unaffordable.

After the 2025 elections, Archival and Governor Pamela Baricuatro revived the land swap concept, but progress stalled over differing property valuations that must be reconciled before the Commission on Audit can approve the deal.

Archival’s order emphasizes the urgency of resolving the matter, citing the need to protect marginalized and landless constituents and to promote sustainable urban development. — /MRM (FREEMAN)