Cebu City Council backs task force to recover city's properties

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council is now moving to support the Land Recovery Task Force of the Cebu City government to address the land scarcity of the city and its backlogs in the provision of relocation sites.

Just last Wednesday, the council approved a resolution calling for an executive session to tackle the unutilized lot donated to the Evangelical Christian Coalition of Cebu (ECCC) in Barangay Kalunasan, which was supposed to be used as a common cemetery, as well as the area beside it, which was supposed to be utilized as a Wildlife Sanctuary.

Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the Committee on Infrastructure of the city council brought up the matter relative to two parcels of lands, where one is donated to the ECCC that is supposed to be utilized as a cemetery while another one was donated to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to be Wildlife Sanctuary.

During his speech, Guardo presented a panoramic view of the four-hectare property donated to ECCC, and the other parcels of land donated to DENR which they considered as prime locations adjacent to Beverly Hills Subdivision.

Last October 9, 2024, Guardo said he received a letter from Atty. Butch Librando, chief of the Division of the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP), aiming to seek a resolution for the revocation of the deed of donation on May 4, 2010, which consists of 42,687 square meters in Barangay Kalunasan.

The lot was donated to the ECCC over an agreement that said the area must be utilized as a common cemetery under the administration of then Mayor Tomas Osmeña who signed the deed of donation on behalf of the Cebu City government.

However, as of this time, the lot remained idle and unutilized. This was found out during the inspection of the members of the Land Recovery Task Force with Attorney Jeff Ponce, Executive Director for Land Management Office, Librando, and representatives of the City Planning, Office of the City Mayor, Cebu City Legal and Cebu City Assessor, last October 24, 2024.

Guardo added that the other 1.2 hectares donated to DENR just near the area only houses birds, monkeys, and a snake, a lesser number seen contrary to what has been agreed to be a Wildlife Sanctuary.

Another property that Guardo brought up is a 5,000 square meter parcel of land conjoining the said two areas that were still named under the Cebu City government.

Last September 4, 2022 Guardo said the ECCC communicated with then Mayor Michael Rama citing that they weren’t able to procure a permit due to the “many oppositions” and likewise requested for a compromise to reach a unanimous objective.

“I am not here to question the wisdom of the 11th Sangguniang Panglungsod or the then (mayor) Tommy Osmeña who signed the deed of donation with respect to the said donation, I am here because of the scarcity of lands to house our displaced constituents,” said Guardo.

The Cebu City government is currently implementing several road widening projects and is clearing the violators of three-meter easements. Guardo said the displaced families are in need of relocation which these lands may have been used for.

Once recovered, Guardo said the City Planning and Development Office can come up with a Master Plan of the subject properties suited to the current needs of the city.

During his speech, Guardo also said that it was attached with a legal opinion rendered by the Cebu City Legal Office favoring the city over the revocation of the deed of donation to ECCC on the grounds that the latter didn’t comply with the agreement that the lot must be utilized as the common cemetery.

Further, the CPDO issued a certification that the said lot is within the residential zoning district. This means, he added, that the area is no longer compatible to operate a cemetery.

“It is high time that the Cebu City Government should revoke the donation and recover these lots for a more beneficial and noble purpose in order to address the housing backlogs of the city,” said Guardo.

The executive session has also called the representatives of the ECCC, Librando, Ponce, Architect Yumi Espina of CPDO, Cebu City Administrator Kristine Joy Batucan, and the DENR which will be done on December 18, 2024.

It was last July 8, 2024, when Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia announced the formation of the task force to recover more than a thousand Cebu City-owned lots that aim to open road networks and transfer its titles to the Cebu City government. (CEBU NEWS)