City, province to sign 93-1 deal by December

CEBU, Philippines - The long standing issue involving lots covered by Cebu Provincial Ordinance 93-1 is finally seeing resolution and Cebu City residents occupying these province-owned properties may just get an early Christmas gift.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña said negotiations with the province are now 90 percent complete and minor details are now being ironed out.

Osmeña said the Memorandum of Agreement between the city and the province will have to be approved by the City Council but he is optimistic the council will not oppose it.

"I'm confident that the City Council will commit political suicide if they will go against it," the mayor said.

 Once the City Council and the Provincial Board approve the MOA, the document will have to be submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA).

Bimbo Fernandez, the de facto city administrator, said city and province officials are scheduled to meet on November 14, Monday, to discuss updates on the MOA.

Osmeña and Davide are targeting to sign the MOA during Urban Poor Solidarity Week in the first week of December.

 The city plans to give 2 ½ hectares of lots in Block 27 at the South Road Properties (SRP).

"Ang ato ron og unsay ihatag sa province nato… maoy atong gi-finalize tungod sa kadaghan sa lote ba," Fernandez said.

 The city also plans to withdraw the cases it filed against the provincial government.

 Provincial Ordinance 93-1 took effect in 1993.

 It covers the 51 hectares of land owned by the provincial government but are occupied by the residents of Cebu City.

 The 93-1 is sub-divided to at least 4,364 home lots in 11 barangays such as Barangay Kam-puthaw, Capitol Site, Kalunasan, Busay, Luz, Lahug, Mabolo, Apas, Lorega, Kasambagan and Tejero.

 A Memorandum of Understanding was entered into during the time of former mayor Michael Rama. It stated that aside from land swap deal, the city has to pay P500 million cash for the 93-1 lots, which are worth P1.3 billion. (FREEMAN)