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Thursday, May 18, 2006
Int’l harbor eyed in Mandaue recla
By Rose O. Versoza
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
The establishment of a major port and harbor facility for Southeast Asia is being eyed in the proposed 295-hectare Mandaue North Reclamation Project (MNRP).
The MNRP is planned to complement the need for a world-class harbor facility, while the existing Mandaue South Reclamation Area is intended as a commercial zone for hotels, malls, restaurants and entertainment center.
The MNRP will be packaged as the “Mandaue Harbor City Project” while the existing reclamation area is dubbed as the “New Mandaue City.”
The one-page concept paper prepared by developer Mandaue Land Consortium (MLC) showed that developments inside the proposed reclamation project would include port and harbor facilities and container terminals.
Areas are also allocated for industrial and commercial land uses.
In 2001, the Mandaue City Government entered into a contract with MLC for the reclamation of 295 hectares of foreshore and submerged lands, starting from the foot of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge until Barangay Jagobiao.
However, the project got stalled because of private individuals and groups who have acquired certificates of title over the affected areas.
Adverse claims
The City was surprised why transfer certificates of title (TCTs) were issued for these foreshore lands to private individuals and groups, when these are classified as timberland or inalienable and indisposable lands.
The ownership of the foreshore and submerged lands of the public domain within the City and within the municipal or city waters had been ceded by the National Government to the Mandaue City Government under Republic Act 5519, or the Mandaue City Charter.
City Adminstrator Serafin Blanco said MLC hesitated in pursuing the project because of these adverse claimants.
Last year, the Mandaue City Government requested the Lands Management Bureau 7 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (LMB-DENR) to nullify the certificates of title issued to the private claimants.
City Legal Officer Erwin Rommel Heyrosa also prepared demand letters asking the titleholders to surrender their copies of the TCTs and to cease-and-desist “from acting as if you have lawful title over the subject foreshore area.”
Demands
Based on these demand letters, Sun.Star Cebu learned that 34 parcels of foreshore land falling within the proposed MNRP, which have a combined area of 68.82 hectares, are covered by certificates of title that are issued to different private individuals and groups.
The titled lots covered 23.33 percent of the MNRP.
Mayor Thadeo Ouano will furnish DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes with copies of the demand letters sent to these private claimants tomorrow.
Aside from the request to nullify the titles before the DENR, the City Government is prepared to file appropriate criminal and civil cases against the claimants should they refuse to comply with the City Government’s demands.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (May 18, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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