THE Cebu City Government will start awarding lots to 90 structure owners whose houses were destroyed by a fire in Barangay Hipodromo last month.

Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) operations chief Genevieve Alcoseba said Mayor Tomas Osmeña had decided to award to the structure owners the Ortega property in Sitio Cahipa.

The 2,000-square-meter Ortega property was expropriated by the City years ago supposedly a s a site for a public market.

“We found the documents of the Ortega property. The mayor has decided to award it to the actual occupants of the lot before the fire,” Alcoseba said.

The lots will be given through the socialized housing program of the City. But structure owners will still have to pay for the property but on a lower rate.

Alcoseba said each structure owner is entitled to a 24-square-meter lot, which would cost them P312,000. It will be payable in 15 years.

“We can also increase the years for them to pay the property to allow them to pay lesser amount. We will just ask the mayor,” Alcoseba said.

Aside from the Ortega property, the fire-stricken area includes the National Housing Authority property, another private property and an abandoned road. (RVC)