City wants to recover 1.7-hectare lot in Lorega

CEBU, Philippines - The Division for the Welfare of the Uban Poor wants to recover the 1.7-hectare city-owned lot in Barangay Lorega identified as a socialized housing site but has already become a commercial site.

DWUP Chief Collin Rossell said the property is a housing site in a prime lot, but negligence on the part of the previous administration reportedly failed to qualify the same as such.

To date, Rossell said, the DWUP has no master list of the original beneficiaries of the property, which reportedly is making it difficult for them identify the original beneficiaries and the so-called Assumes.

She said that when they inspected the area recently, they found that a large portion has been converted into a commercial zone, apparently by business-minded individuals who bought the rights of the original settlers.

Rossell said buying and selling of rights is strictly prohibited.

The city government has every right to contest the right of these business individuals over the lot where they have put up their business because the property is under the ownership of the city government.

Rossell said he has already directed his personnel to assess the area and conduct a survey among the families residing within the 1.7-hectare property to identify the qualified beneficiaries who will be retained once the area is restored into a purely residential zone.

This housing site in Lorega was given to members of the Lorega Homeowners Association, which the DWUP reportedly does not have record of, particularly the date the organization was formed.

According to an unapproved Subdivision Plan, the property consists of 11 blocks of 350 slots. Rossell said there should only be 350 urban poor families occupying the area but there are already more than 700 families and business establishments thereat.

The lot is adjacent to the former Lorega Cemetery, which is being developed into a medium-rise housing project.

Rossell said that aside from removing or evicting the business establishments and other non-residential structures, DWUP will re-block the entire area based on the Subdivision Plan.

Re-blocking the entire area would also mean that roads and alleys will be restored to their original size.

Rossell said some families who have encroached into the road will be removed but they can still be relocated to slots that would be vacated by unqualified beneficiaries. Qualified beneficiaries will be made to sign a contract with the city government that would enable them to obtain the title of the lot they are occupying once they fully pay for the same.

Aside from Lorega, DWUP also revisited and inspected the housing sites in Mandaue, Laguerta in Lahug, Budlaan, Basak Pardo, Mabolo, San Jose, Talamban, Busay and Pulpogan in Consolacion. (FREEMAN)