Tuesday, August 07, 2007 Army pullout to ‘remove’ 6 sitios
HAVING lived in Barangay Apas for 50 years, Barangay Captain Clemente Rosales has seen the area change from a forest to a thickly populated urban center.
Rosales, 68, said he was one of the soldiers who originally lived in the barracks at Pier 3 but was then ordered transferred to Apas where there was more space.
“Apas was a mere sitio of Lahug back then. It was called Sitio Pangutana,” he recalled.
He explained that it was called Pangutana (question) because wives of soldiers were always stopped at a military checkpoint and that this was where the wives were told to ask where their husbands were.
At the checkpoint, soldiers would then tell the wives where to go. “Apasa lang sa sulod (Just look for him inside),” was their usual answer.
In 1965, Barangay Apas separated from Lahug.
Rosales recalled that Camp Lapu-Lapu has been there since the 1940s. It was a US military camp and was once occupied by Japanese soldiers in the Second World War.
Before it became known as Central Command, the camp was first known as the 3rd Military Area in 1945.
Years later, it was called the 3rd Infantry Division and then the Regional Unified Command (RUC) 7.
It was later renamed Visayas Command (Viscom).
Once the Capitol takes back the property, Rosales believes six sitios — Central Apas, Mahayahay, Panabang, Plaza, Sto. Niño and Calvary—will be affected by Centcom’s move to Mactan.
Rosales lives in Central Apas and is directly affected by the transfer.
“Ang land area sa Apas kay 200 hectares. Ang apektado 80 hectares. Mapapas na ang Apas ani (Eighty hectares of the 200-hectare Barangay Apas will be affected by the move. Apas will be wiped off the map),” he said.
He estimated that around 1,800 households occupying the six sitios.
Though another commercial project that the Capitol is planning will add to the barangay’s P7 million annual income, Rosales said he is more worried about the displaced residents.
In the middle of the property is the P12-million barangay hall and sports complex, which is not yet finished, built from the barangay’s income and funds from Rep. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north district).
Rosales said they were willing to buy the lots from the Capitol if it meant not having to leave their homes and being uncertain about where to go.
He was also planning to meet with the barangay council yesterday to discuss their course of action.
He said they could either seek help from Mayor Tomas Osmeña, del Mar or Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
Rosales, who has been barangay captain of Apas for 35 years, is on his last term.
President Arroyo announced Centcom’s transfer to Mactan in her visit to Cebu last Friday, after handing over a P25 million check to Centcom’s Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna for a soldier’s housing project.
Philippine Air Force Commanding General Horacio Tolentino earlier said the Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base could accommodate headquarters for Centcom, but not for the housing project.
The groundbreaking for the housing project was stalled after the President announced its transfer to Mactan. (MEA)
