City Council reviews MOA for Paknaan relocation site

CEBU, Philippines - The proposed memorandum of agreement for the purchase of the 6.5-hectare lot in Barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City is under review at the City Council.

Urban Planning and Socialized Housing consultant, lawyer Francisco Amit, yesterday said the MOA has already been endorsed to the committee on Urban Poor Planning and Socialized Housing chaired by Councilor Demetrio Cortes Jr. for review.

Councilor Cortes' committee will determine if there is need to authorize Mayor Jonas Cortes to enter into a tripartite memorandum of agreement between lot owner Dennis Lua, the 15 homeowners associations and the city government as originator.

The councilor said that since the MOA is now under review by the City Council, series of consultations will be conducted so that the 15 homeowners associations will be aware of the terms and conditions being stipulated in the MOA and their obligations under the community mortgage program.

Beneficiaries can avail of the 6.5 lot in Barangay Paknaan through a "soft loan" from the community mortgage program of the Social Mortgage Finance Corporation.

Once beneficiaries receive financial assistance from the city government, which is equivalent to two months of their monthly salary, they could use it to pay the down payment to the lot owner.

At present, the city is foregoing any demolition at the danger zones after it has declared a four-month moratorium in February pending the drafting of the MOA for the purchase of the 6.5 hectare lot in Barangay Paknaan. (FREEMAN)