93-1 ISSUE Non-beneficiaries may own lots

CEBU, Philippines - All occupants, including those who are not original beneficiaries of province-owned lot in Cebu City covered by the Provincial Ordinance 93-1, are now assured of owning the property they are occupying.

There will be no eviction among the occupants following the assurance of National Housing Authority (NHA) and Home Mutual Development Fund, also known as Pag-IBIG, to take care of the financing aspect for payment to the provincial government.

Chito Borromeo, consultant of Vice President Jejomar Binay who chairs the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, said they have gathered information on how to best deal with those who may be awarded properties.

Borromeo said they are in the process of agreeing on the price of the property that can be acceptable to both the occupants and the provincial government.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia intends to resolve the 93-1 issue before her last term expires by next year.

Binay’s office intervened in settling the tenure of beneficiaries and has conducted socio-economic survey of the covered areas. The survey identified those who are qualified for the Community Mortgage Program (CMP) of NHA while those above the “threshold of poverty” will be taken cared of by Pag-IBIG.

Covered by the socio-economic survey were the more than 2,025 households occupying province-owned lots in Barangays Kalunasan, Busay, Capitol Site and Kamputhaw. Teams have been created to conduct consultation in the four barangays targeting four barangays of Cebu City within the first quarter of this year. 

Borromeo said the success in dealing with the four barangays could be the model in other areas, including Barangays Apas, Lahug, Lorega, Mabolo and Tejero.

Ordinance 93-1 prescribes guidelines in the disposition of the province-owned lots in the barangays mentioned above. The ordinance also allows residents of Cebu City to own the lot they are occupying after paying full the amortization in two years.

In 2004, however, 10 years since an extension on the payment was made, less than half of the nearly 5,000 Cebu City residents occupying 93-1 lots have paid the amortization in full.

The provincial and city governments considered a land swap agreement seven years ago in 2006 but the deal was botched. — (FREEMAN)