93-1 occupants ask Guv to lower price

CEBU, Philippines - Occupants of the province-owned lots in Barangay Luz, Cebu City have asked Governor Hilario Davide III to reduce the price previously set by then governor Gwendolyn Garcia for them to purchase the property.

Cebu City councilor Nida Cabrera accompanied the leaders of different homeowners associations occupying the province-owned lot in the said barangay to personally present their request to Davide.

Davide said that the occupants told him that their request was not acted upon by the former governor.

“Ilang gipadayag kanako ilang interes gihapon nga willing sila mobayad, they’d like to pay directly to the provincial government,” Davide told reporters.

The lot was priced between P2,133.33 per square meter to P13,960 per square meter depending on the location of the property.

Davide learned that the appraisal value of the lot in Barangay Luz is among the highest.

Although they did not specify in their letter, Davide said he has to take the matter up with the Provincial Board.

He said that he will create a technical working group who would look into the matter with representatives from his office and the homeowners associations.

Cabrera reportedly told Davide that none of the homeowners associations in Barangay Luz have signed the memorandum of agreement entered into by Garcia in other barangays.

Barangay Luz was among those scheduled to sign the MOA last December but did not push through because of her suspension.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, helped the Capitol in the negotiations to finally solve the deadlock.

Garcia previously vowed to resolve the matter before her term ended last June 30, 2013 but failed because of her six-month suspension.

During her time, 19 homeowners associations from different barangays in Cebu City signed the MOA with the Capitol to purchase the lot its members have occupied.

Garcia turned over to Davide the negotiation with the 13 more homeowners associations occupying province-owned lots with a total area of 189,319.75 square meters.

Should these 13 MOA be signed, Garcia said the province will stand to collect a total of P976.4 million from PagIbig.

The scheme was for PagIbig to help the beneficiaries pay the obligation to the Province so that the Capitol would no longer be the collecting agency.

Upon completion of all the documents with the PagIbig as well as the Community Home Mortgage Program, the province stands to collect P524.7 million of the lot disposed during the time of Garcia.

The provincial government is expected to earn an income of P1.5 billion should Davide pursue the scheme for the disposal of the 93-1 lots in Cebu City.—(FREEMAN)