Guv orders appraisal of lots and profiling of occupants

Governor Gwen Garcia yesterday ordered an appraisal of the 43-hectare Capitol-owned lots and the profiling of occupants in these properties in various areas of the city's 11 barangays.

These properties could have been the subject of the proposed lot-swap deal with the city that has been scrapped, and the results of her two directives will be the bases on what action she will do on the lots and their occupants.

"This is an action that I have put off for almost two years in consideration of the now scrapped lot-swap because I have very well understood the wish of Mayor Tommy Osmeña to help his own constituents," the governor said.

She added: "But as I said, enough is enough. I need to act now in what I consider should be to the best interest of the province and my constituents."

In a news conference yesterday, Garcia said she ordered the local bids and awards committee to get, via limited source bidding, the services of an independent appraisal firm to determine the fair market value of the properties, at present.

She also directed the provincial planning and development office to conduct the profiling of the current lot occupants, who the Capitol deemed as illegal occupants.

Included in the appraisal will be the existing condition of the properties, which reportedly have been deluged with increasing number of informal settlers, also referred to as squatters.

In the task of profiling, Garcia wanted a sorting of occupants, from those who fully paid their lot, partially paid, to those who have not paid at all, along with their reasons for non-payment.

"Maayo man gud maklaro gyud ba, nganong naay nakabayad. Atong klarohon og nag-hilaid ba gyud ni sa kalisod o hilabi na kadako sa negosyo ilang natukod sa lote. Klarohon nato kay di ko gusto mangakusar. May nang maklaro," said the governor.

The profiling will also cover data on the specifications of a particular lot occupied, the income generated from the structures built on the properties if rented out, and if these occupants are the original beneficiaries for socialized housing, under Provincial Board Ordinance No. 93-1 of 1993.

The ordinance provides that the right of occupancy will be sold to original beneficiaries at a price limited to between P200 and P300 per square meter only.

However, there have been raw reports that some occupants have resold their lots to other people at between P2,000 and P4,000 per square meter.

Garcia further said she requested for an inventory of the issued land titles, which will be compared to the 1990 survey results, which have a complete list of occupants based on the ordinance.