THE Cebu City’s Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) will start the verification of beneficiaries who are qualified to buy the lots in five sitios in Barangay Apas, that were declassified as socialized housing site under Presidential Proclamation (PP) 409.
While this developed, DWUP operations chief Genevieve Alcoseba said they will also assist the beneficiaries in negotiating with the Cebu Provincial Government for the price of the lot.
Since the lots are owner by the Provincial Government, lawyer Orvi Ortega, chief of Provincial Legal Office said that the transaction on the purchase of the lot will be directly between the Province and the residents.
Alcoseba said that in 2018, DWUP has already completed the survey of the land even before the compromise agreement for the lot was signed.
“We have the record already and we have to validate that because there might be changes along the way,” she said.
Alcoseba said a evaluation and verification is needed to allow the City to come up with the final list of beneficiaries before the negotiation of the price will be made.
Around 4,000 residents of Barangay Apas, who are mostly members of the Alliance of Barangay Apas Community Association Inc.
(Abaca).
During the House Oversight Committee hearing on Housing and Urban Development last Monday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana signed the compromise agreement that will allow them to buy the properties.
The residents were just waiting for Lorenzana’s signature for them to give up on their claim on the lots after the Cebu City Government and the Cebu Provincial Government signed a compromise agreement that will allow them to buy the properties that are spread across five sitios.
PP 409 on June 23, 2003, which was issued by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was the president that time declared part of the area of what is now the Centcom of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the barangay as socialized housing.
Arroyo personally attended the hearing of the Oversight Committee in Cebu last Monday, February 18, where she announced that other homeowners, aside from Abaca will also benefit from the development.
After the issuance of PP 409, the residents were just waiting for the DND to to give up its claim on the lots after the Cebu City Government and the Cebu Provincial Government signed a compromise agreement that will allow them to buy the properties that are spread across five sitios.
On Oct. 12, 1959, the Province donated 47 parcels of land equivalent to 80 hectares to the AFP for military purposes.
But of the entire property, about 21 hectares are occupied mostly by urban poor residents, including retired and active soldiers and their families, so former governor Pablo Garcia rescinded the donation.
Abaca President Ma. Linda Paracuelles said they already submitted an offer to buy the property to the Province.
Paracuelles said price of the lot will defer per sitio due to its location.
“For us in Upper Mahayahay, I think we offered to buy the lot at P1,000 something (per square meter). That was two years ago and we’re open for review,” she said.
Alcoseba said DWUP can assist the beneficiaries in the negotiation to come up with a price that all them can afford.