93-1 land swap: renegotiation to favor beneficiaries - Labella

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has assured that the renegotiation on the land swap deal with the Cebu provincial government will be favorable to the beneficiaries of the 93-1 lots.

Labella said he will have a meeting with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and other provincial and city officials to discuss Provincial Ordinance 93-1.

"We have to look after the welfare of the beneficiaries because they've been there for quite a time. I think they deserve help in determining the amount. Mao nay atong tan-awon... nga makatabang gyud ta," said Labella.

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 belonging to 93-1.

In the deal, more than 4,000 residents living in 11 barangays the city are expected to benefit from it.

They are occupying the Capitol lots that were announced as socialized housing sites under Provincial 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 which makes the agreement allegedly illegal and irregular.

Garcia is working on to recover the Cebu provincial government-owned real properties that were “illegally and irregularly” disposed of by the previous administration.

On October 28, Garcia had a meeting with Councilors Raymond Alvin Garcia, Donaldo “Dondon” Hontiveros, and Atty. Joey Daluz to discuss the deal involving the lots covered by Ordinance 93-1.

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.  GAN (FREEMAN)