Cebu City to give resettlement area to Consolacion

CEBU, Philippines -  The Cebu City government is planning to turn over the ownership, supervision and control of the city-owned resettlement area in Barangay Pulpogan, Consolacion to the said municipality.

Mayor Michael Rama said this has been a plan even during the time of former mayor Tomas Osmeña, adding he does not want it to remain pending for more years.

The city is now drafting the memorandum of agreement that they will enter into with the Municipality of Consolacion to formalize the turn over.

The city is set to donate more than 10 hectares of land in Pulpogan, Consolacion which was purchased by the city government in 1980, during the time of then Mayor Florentino Solon.

The lot was intended for a resettlement area or relocation site of informal settlers at the North Reclamation Area.

Rama wants it turned over to the town since it has become impractical for the city government to monitor and oversee the site considering its distance from the city proper which is approximately 14 kilometers. And since the residents started occupying the area, it is the town government that is providing them with basic services such as lighting facilities, maintenance of peace and order, social and health and garbage collection among others.

All the occupants are already voters of the municipality which is the second largest voting population of the town.

Also, there have been a lot of occupants who built their houses in the area without permission from the city government.

Phillip Zafra, Executive Assistant II of Rama said the municipality will have to create an office that has similar function with the city’s Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor so as when the city turns over the lot, the municipality will take over the collection of payment from delinquent occupants.

Based on a 2008 DWUP report, there are 936 beneficiaries of the socialized housing program in Pulpogan. Of this number, 561 are original beneficiaries while 375 are assumes.Zafra said there are more occupants in the area now and they have multiplied quickly within the span of three years.

Rama said the lot will be donated to the town without getting anything in return.

When the city bought the lot in 1980, Zafra said it was very cheap and the capital has been recovered long time ago from the payments of the beneficiaries.

As of 2009 though, the total market value of the lot is pegged at P39,328,045.14 based on the appraisal by the Municipal Assessor of Consolacion.

Zafra said there will be conditions in the donation of lot which will include a provision that it shall remain a socialized housing site for landless people.

Recently, Consolacion Mayor Teresa P. Alegado wrote Rama, requesting the latter to donate the lot to the municipality to solve the land disputes among the residents of Barangay Pulpogan. (FREEMAN)