Oprra questions PB move on lots

CEBU, Philippines - The Old Philippine Railway Residents’ Association (OPRRA), Inc. in Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City has questioned the Provincial Board (PB) for authorizing Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to enter into an agreement for the sale to another group of the province-owned lot they are occupying.

Officers and some members of OPRRA, Inc. led by its president, Kalunasan barangay councilor Litoy Ceniza, met Vice Governor Agnes Magpale to ask why the resolution was “unilaterally” passed by the PB last Monday.

Magpale asked the group to set a meeting with Board Member Alex Binghay who chairs the PB committee on municipal and provincial properties who could explain to them.

She said that the body was just adopting the recommendation of Binghay’s committee.

Binghay sponsored the resolution authorizing Garcia to sign in behalf of the Province of Cebu the memorandum of agreement for the sale to Actual Occupants and Residents of OPPRA Kalunasan (AOROK), Inc. the remaining unsold portions of province-owned lots then covered by sales agreement between the province and the OPRRA, Inc.

These remaining lots, according to Binghay, are part of the 11 lots covered by the sales agreement between the Capitol and OPRRA executed on June 7, 1971, which stipulates that the said lots are to be sold to qualified OPRRA members at the price of P10 per square meter.

Pursuant to the said agreement, the 11 lots were then subdivided, and some actual occupants and qualified beneficiaries, who paid their dues, have already gained ownership.

However, after 40 years from its execution, many OPRRA members still have not paid for the subdivided lots.

On April 16, 2012, the Provincial Board passed a resolution recommending the termination of the said sales agreement due to the association’s failure to comply with its conditions.

“With the termination of the said June 7, 1971 Sales Agreement, the Province of Cebu is now in the position to dispose of the remaining unsold areas covered therein,” the resolution stated.

In previous meetings with Garcia, the occupants who call themselves as AOROK, Inc. has agreed to purchase the lots at its new price of P3,273.33 per square meter, in lieu of the previous price of P10 per square meter, which is deemed to be grossly unfair on the part of the Capitol.

Ceniza blamed the new group, whom he called as illegal settlers, on why Garcia closed the door for negotiation for OPRRA. The new group had offered an attractive fair market value. —Gregg M. Rubio/JPM(FREEMANNEWS)