City, Province Ready Agreement on P500M Lot Buy

The Cebu City government and the Cebu provincial government have prepared a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that will cover the PHP500-million purchase of province-owned lots occupied by city residents.

Lawyer Collin Rosell Division, head of the city’s Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP), said the MOA will once and for all solve the problem of some 5,000 families living in province-owned lots.

Under the proposed agreement, the city will pay an initial PHP100 million to the provincial government to acquire the remaining 93-1 lots, which have not yet been fully paid for by urban poor beneficiaries.

The remaining PHP400 million will be paid upon the transfer of the certificate of titles covering the properties in the name of the city.

Rosell said the proposed MOA is set to be signed by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III, but no date has been fixed.

The purchase of the lots will put the urban poor settlers living in lots covered by Cebu Provincial Ordinance (PO) 93-1 under the city’s socialized housing program.

Rosell earlier said the city has submitted a copy of the proposed MOA to the provincial government together with a copy of the certificate of the availability of funds from the Cebu City Treasurer’s Office.

Once the PHP100 million is turned over to the provincial government, control and possession of the 93-1 lots will be transferred to the city so it can implement its socialized housing program.

The 93-1 lots cover around 51-hectares in 11 barangays of Cebu City.

It is subdivided into 4,364 home lots, the proposed MOA states. (PNA)LAP/EB/SSC