9 OPRRA Residents Get Lots

After living as informal settlers for four decades, some residents in Barangay Kalunasan have finally owned the lots they are occupying.

Governor Hilario P. Davide III signed separate deeds of absolute sale for the transfer of the Capitol lots to its actual residents last Nov. 16 at the Capitol.

At least 12 deeds were supposed to be signed by the governor for the residents of the Old Philippine Railway Residents Association (OPRRA) relocation site in Barangay Kalunasan. However, three of them neither confirmed nor appeared during the signing of the deeds.

The beneficiaries were the heirs of Ramon Adarna, Ramon Bacayo and Desederio Canedo; Erlinda Bulante; Antonio Cornejo; Sulpicia Dayanan; Vitaliana Gorgonio; Loreto Garciano; and Gabriel Jadraque Jr.

The size of the lots ranged from 115 to 143 square meters.

“Nalipay ko kay naako na jud ning yuta. Aduna nakoy kabtangan nga akong ipasunod sa akong mga anak (I’m happy that I finally own a lot. I have something I can pass to my children),” said Rena Jadraque, 76, a mother of five children.

Rena Jadraque is a widow of Gabriel Jadraque Jr., the original petitioner of the lot and whose name appeared in the deed of absolute sale.

The Jadraque family started staying in the OPRRA village since its establishment in 1967.

Engr. Paul Entera, retired chief of the Real Estate Division of the Province of Cebu said the group failed to settle their obligations on time.

Because of this, Entera said they were not given deeds of absolute sale until the administration of former Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

He further stated that Garcia wanted the group to be included in the OPRRA membership. However, the 12 occupants refused. Later on, Garcia stopped the signing of deeds altogether as another OPRRA group offered to buy the properties in a higher price.

The group renegotiated with the new administration of the Province of Cebu with the help of Provincial Board Member Grecilda Sanchez-Zaballero.

www.cebu.gov.ph