Cebu City Finalizes Land-Swap Deal with Cebu Capitol to Solve Fate of 5,000 Families

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has said the city government is finalizing its proposal to swap land with the Cebu Provincial Government to solve the problem of some 5,000 families living in province-owned lots in the city.

Osmena said the city’s sewage treatment plant in the North Reclamation Area (NRA) and the now closed Cebu City Abattoir will be included in the proposed land exchange.

Osmena said these are valuable commercial area worth billions of pesos.

Osmena said he is including in the land swap proposal the city-owned relocation site in Barangay Pulpogan, Consolacion, which is around 13 hectares and houses some 6,000 individuals who used to live in the NRA.

These three properties will be in addition to Block 27, a two-hectare lot in the South Road Properties and the Cebu City Zoo, which Osmeña already announced earlier as among the properties to be exchanged.

Osmena said he tasked Bimbo Fernandez, the executive assistant to the mayor, to complete the details in the land swap deal with lots covered by Cebu Provincial Ordinance 93-1.

It was a campaign promise by Osmeña and Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III to solve the plight of the 93-1 residents 60 days after they assumed office.

They assumed office last July 1.

Osmeña also said the city is finalizing the process for how the 93-1 lots will be distributed among the beneficiaries, once the city will take over its management. (PNA) FPV/EB/EBP