City, Province sign agreement: Lot for Apas folk

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City government is one step closer to giving 32.27 hectares of land in Barangay Apas to 3,200 beneficiaries under Presidential Proclamation 409.

Yesterday, Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Governor Hilario Davide III, Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and other concerned agencies signed a compromise agreement.

Under the agreement, the city, province, and concerned agencies agree to award the properties to the beneficiaries.

But the compromise agreement would have to be approved by the Solicitor General.

“Dili pa na kumpleto kay kulang pa ang approval sa Solicitor General tungod siya ang counsel sa Department of National Defense…naa nako ang sulat para kang Solicitor General; unta maayo ang iyahang tubag,” Arroyo said yesterday.

She is also hopeful that Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana will likewise approve the agreement.

Davide told the beneficiaries: “Hapit na gyud ni, ang kining compromise agreement man gud kinahanglan pani og approval sa husgado. Unya ang ato nalang niya sabotan is ang presyo sa yuta.”

Meriam Fernandz-Escober, head of the city’s Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor, said negotiations on the mode of payment of the beneficiaries will take place after the Solicitor General approves the agreement.

She said it took years to come up with the compromise agreement due to several factors.

“Because kini nga property sauna sa province, murag mga around 47 parcels of land ni, gi-donate nila to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Central Command. Now, naa man gud stipulated sa Deed of Donation nga in case non-use or gamiton for non-military purpose, pwede bawion sa province,” she said.

Background

It was during Arroyo’s term as President when Proclamation 409 was drafted and signed in 2003.

The proclamation declares that certain parcels of land in Barangay Apas are socialized housing sites under Republic Act 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992.

“NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby declare as socialized housing sites under the provisions of UDHA certain parcels of land being held by the AFP Central Command situated in Brgy. Apas, Cebu City,” a portion of the proclamation reads.

The 32.27 hectares cover 18 parcels of land that include lot nos. 950, 1035-B, 1076, 1102, 1104, 1105, 1106, 1107, 1110, 1113, 1122, 1124, 1125, 1176, 1177, 1178, 1179, and 1180.

It was on October 12, 1959 when the province donated the 47 parcels of lots totaling 80.69 hectares to the AFP on condition that the lots would be used for military purposes. If not, the lots would be reverted back to the province.

Eventually, only 14 of the 47 parcels of land were used and are now occupied by the headquarters of the Central Command in Barangay Apas. The remaining 33 are used as a residential site by some military personnel.

Of the 33 parcels, 18 totaling 32.37 hectares are covered by Presidential Proclamation 409 to benefit existing settlers under a socialized housing program.

Final stretch

Maria Linda Paracueles of the Alliance of Barangay Apas Community Association said they have lived in anxiety for at least 15 years owing to the thought that the province can evict them anytime.

Now, she is just grateful that they would finally live in peace.

“Duol-duol nami sa among culmination sa among efforts nga nag-span og more than 15 years. Grabe kataas among struggle,” Paracueles said.

For his part, Osmeña thanked Davide and Arroyo for helping the city resolve the matter.

As a gesture of hope, he congratulated the beneficiaries present during the ceremonial signing of the compromise agreement. (FREEMAN)