City eyes Osmeña Mausoleum as park

CEBU, Philippines - The plan to develop the Osmeña Mausoleum along M. J. Cuenco Avenue into a people’s park will likely push through after the Cebu City Council granted authority to Mayor Michael Rama on a land swapping agreement with the owner of the property, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cebu (RCAC).

City Councilor Jose Daluz III, chairman of the committee on budget and finance, and the real property, said the RCAC represented by Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal already agreed to swap it for the city’s property located in Barangay Pasil.

The Osmeña Mausoleum has an area of 9,282 square meters with an appraised value of P106,278,900 while Pasil property only has 729 square meters with an appraised value of P3,200 per square meter.

Since the Osmeña Mausoleum is of much greater value and area than the Pasil property, Daluz said the excess and difference shall be paid by the city government in the amount of P5 million to RCAC.

According to Daluz, the RCAC came up with P5 million by crediting amount as payment for the real property tax, in favor of the city government for five years or from 2010 to 2014.

Daluz said that since the RCAC approved the swapping of lots, the city plans to develop the area in order to preserve the place and uphold its historical importance.

Built in 1920, the mausoleum, contains the mortal remains of Doña Estefania Chiong Veloso de Osmeña, the first wife of Philippine Commonwealth President Sergio Osmeña Sr., Sergio Osmeña Jr., who is the president’s son who also became mayor and governor of Cebu and senator, Juana Osmeña, the president’s mother, and several other members of the Osmeña, Veloso, Suico and Sotto families. — (FREEMAN)