Council defers resolution over land swapping deal

It took about three hours for the Cebu City Council to defer the approval of the resolution authorizing Mayor Tomas Osmeña to enter into a memorandum of exchange of real properties with the Cebu provincial government.

Councilor Nestor Archival, who sponsored the resolution, has asked the council to authorize Osmeña to exchange the city's 33,737 square meter property at the North Reclamation Area with the province's pieces of lot in some of the barangays in the city.

But the resolution on the memorandum was referred to the City Attorney's Office for further study.

The province's properties are located in barangays Luz, Mabolo, Lorega San Miguel, Kasambagan, Camputhaw, Apas, Capitol Site, Lahug, Busay, Kalunasan and Tejero. They have a total land area of 496, 969 square meters.

There are 4,137 urban poor families residing in the province-owned properties located within the territorial jurisdiction of the city. Under Provincial Ordinance No. 93-1, the occupants are entitled to purchase the lands by installment for five years without any interest. The ordinance was approved in 1993 but when it was expired in 1998, it was extended.

Councilor Gerardo Carillo raised the apprehensions over the legal impediments that the council might face considering that the city is at the losing end on the deal.

Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera also wanted the Department for the Welfare of the Urban Poor to clear its documents submitted to the council considering that there are occupants who have titles already but whose properties are subject to land swapping. - Garry B. Lao