Lot prices set Gov meets officers of 15 homeowners associations

CEBU, Philippines - The Capitol already has fixed the prices of the province-owned lots previously covered by Provincial Ordinance 93-1 at the remaining two barangays in Cebu City.

The prices range from P9,026.66 to P13,158 per square meter.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia met with the officers of 15 homeowners associations from Barangays Apas and Luz in Cebu City to discuss the details regarding the sale of the lots.

These are the Sitio Anagan Homeowners Association (HOA) Inc., Lot 982 HOA, Sitio Panabang Neighborhood Association Inc., and a homeowner of lot 952, all located in Barangay Apas.

Those from Barangay Luz are Lot 1 United Poor HOA, Sta. Cruz HOA, Sambag Residents Organization, St. Vincent Fraternal Association, Sampaguita HOA, Ilang-ilang HOA, Friendly HOA, Seminary Side HOA, San Roque HOA, Access Side HOA and Sitio Mabuhay Catholic HOA.

Like the other groups who already executed their respective memorandum of agreement between the Province of Cebu regarding the sale of the lots they have been occupying, the said homeowners associations also expressed interest to do the same.

Garcia gave the groups two weeks to explain to their members about the rare opportunity to acquire the prime lots at a less expensive cost.

The selling prices of the lots were determined from the average of the property value given by the 2008 Cebu Provincial Appraisal Committee, the zonal value of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the schedule of value of Cebu City.

Like in the previous agreements entered into by the provincial government, the lots are sold in its entirety to the associations who are given the discretion to dispose of the lots that are vacant.

The members would pay for the lots through the Pag-ibig Fund, Community Mortgage Program, and other financing institutions, which will pay the provincial government in lump sum.

Instead of dealing directly with the individual occupants of the defunct provincial ordinance 93-1, the Capitol is dealing with the concerned financing institution.

The governor added that this is the definite and easiest way for them to own the lots they have been occupying for over 40 years.

The province is assisted by Vice President Jejomar Binay, the chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordination Council (HUDCC), who instructed the financing institutions to treat the 93-1 issue separately.

The vice president was present during the signing of the memorandum of agreement for the sale of the 93-1 lots to the beneficiaries last September 8 and also when the first batch of five homeowners’ associations inked the same deal with the Capitol last May. —MIT (FREEMAN)