On 93-1 issue: Council accused of ‘turning deaf ears’

CEBU, Philippines — Several occupants of lots covered under Cebu Provincial Ordinance 93-1 appeared before the Cebu City Council yesterday to express their long-standing grievance, citing that their concerns had not been addressed for many years.

In response, the City Council members, though, stated that they had already fulfilled their responsibilities on the matter.

This was during an executive session to discuss the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) regarding the transitional housing project to be donated by corporate partners of the City Government.

The project is set to be built on Block 27 of the North Reclamation Area.

This session is a continuation of discussions held last Sept. 25 and Oct. 10.

Councilor Nestor Archival, Sr. said the lots in question were being subjected to a deed of donation to the Provincial Government of Cebu.

According to Archival, the Cebu City Government had already turned over the certificates of title for these city-owned lots to the province. In return, the Cebu Province transferred the certificate of titles for the lots covered under Provincial Ordinance 93-1 back to Cebu City.

He, however, said Block 27 is no longer owned by Cebu City, despite the exchange having already been completed. He also disclosed that the Cebu Province had already revoked the MOA stipulated in a previous “Land Swap Deal”.

“This revocation warrants our attention, as we understand that the land donation and exchange agreement is a bilateral contract, and any rescission by one party typically requires the consent of the other,” Archival said.

He explained that the executive session was called to address this issue.

Among those who spoke was Emily Malto, president of the 93-1 Movement, who urged the legislative members to set aside their political affiliations and focus on the issues affecting the constituents.

She expressed that “partisan politics” has caused the “agony” of over 25,000 residents in the “supposedly” province-owned lots located in 11 barangays of Cebu City.

“I said ‘supposedly’, because, it has been donated already to the city of Cebu by virtue of deed of donation executed on Aug. 3, 2018 between the Province and the City of Cebu represented by Governor Hilario Davide III and Honorable Tomas Osmeña,” Malto said.

She said they are hoping the Cebu City Council would unite to address their security of land tenure. She also mentioned that they had been appearing before the council for two decades in the hope of having their concerns addressed, to no avail.

“You turn deaf ears to our plea. Only few…stood by our side. Unsay diay pagtan-aw sa konseho namo, ang kahimtang sa 93-1, nga wa man gyud mo nagpakabana?” she accused the City Council members.

Malto said it pained her to return repeatedly to the City Council and air the same grievances. She explained that while the deed of donation between Cebu Province and Cebu City was validly executed, no implementation had been made.

To recall, in December 2016, then mayor Osmeña and then governor now Vice Governor Hilario Davide III, signed a MOA for a land swap between the City and the Province, covering 32 hectares of province-owned lots under Ordinance 93-1 located in several Cebu City barangays.

The lots subject to the agreement also included 1.5 hectares in the Department of Agriculture compound along M. Velez St.; 2,358 square meters on Gorordo Ave. in Barangay Lahug; and 577 square meters on Don Gil Garcia St. in Barangay Capitol Site.

In exchange, Cebu City would give the province a 2.5-hectare lot in the South Road Properties (SRP); a 3.3-hectare lot in Block 27 behind SM City in Barangay Mabolo; a 2.5-hectare botanical garden behind SM Seaside City in the SRP; nine hectares in Barangay Pulpogan, Consolacion; a 1.37-hectare septage treatment plant; and a 2,476-square-meter abattoir lot, among others.

“You never raise a finger nga unta mohatag mo para konswelo nalang unta nga makatug mi sa gabii nga maghayang…. Ang among security of tenure wala pa man,” Malto said.

She said that they were offered a housing loan through the Home Development Mutual Fund Pag-IBIG Fund, but the standard requirements were “difficult to comply with” for most of them.

Malto said the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) had requested special treatment from Pag-IBIG for their transactions, but it was denied.

“Unya karon sa ingon niana, asa naman mi padung? Makatan-aw mo namo nga anha nalang mi sa kalsada nga magpuyo, nga mga suroy-suroy?” she said.

She said the lack of implementation of the land deal, which was supposed to secure their land tenure, made them feel like outcasts.

The 93-1 beneficiaries are from barangays of Kamputhaw, Capitol Site, Kalunasan, Busay, Luz, Lahug, Mabolo, Apas, Lorega San Miguel, Kasambagan, and Tejero.  —/RHM (FREEMAN)