Monday, August 06, 2007 Camp transfer alarms Apas folks
ALARMED by President Arroyo’s announcement that the Central Command (Centcom) camp will be transferred, Barangay Apas, Cebu City officials will plan for what they should do once the Capitol starts evicting the residents.
Donated by the Cebu Provincial Government, the 80-hectare camp sits in Apas, which became a barangay practically because of the camp.
The barangay derived its name from the Cebuano word “apas,” which means to go after or catch up with, because of wives and family members who often visited their enlisted husbands detailed in Centcom (formerly the Visayas Command).
Because they were from other provinces and regions, they made temporary shelters that eventually became permanent homes in what used to be a forested, cogon-filled military reservation.
In an interview, Apas Barangay Councilor Ramil Ayuman said they were concerned because once the Capitol uses the land for commercial purposes and evicts the residents, it would literally wipe out a significant portion of the barangay’s population.
1/4 of total area
The barangay has a total land area of 250 hectares, 80.68 of which is the Army reservation, and 5.15 hectares for the Philippine Constabulary reservation.
An additional 54.46 hectares used to be owned by the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority, while 52.71 hectares are privately owned.
Apas is composed of 20 sitios, which include Pangutana, the former name of the barangay.
Ayuman said he will present the matter in their session tomorrow so they could discuss what the barangay should do. He said they would also have to hold a dialogue with leaders of urban poor groups in the barangay.
Want to negotiate
One possible move is to ask Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia to let the residents stay or buy their lots.
Ayuman said that except for one barangay official, all of them would be displaced if the Capitol expels the occupants of its donated lot.
Except for squatters, Apas residents are either active members of the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police or retired soldiers and policemen and their dependents.
In a visit to Cebu last Friday, President Arroyo announced the camp will be relocated to Mactan.
Other aspects of camp operations will also be transferred to Tuburan town, which has five barangays that are affected by insurgency.
Garcia has announced that after the camp is transferred, the Capitol will stick to its policy of not selling or donating lots but to “develop and earn more.” And she will do so with the private sector as the Provincial Government’s partner. (RHM)
