CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival has announced the creation of a working committee to coordinate with the Provincial Government on the 93-1 land swap deal, saying the City remains committed to implementing the 2016 agreement.
The announcement on Monday, July 21, 2025 followed a meeting with urban poor groups on Saturday, July 19.
On Sunday, July 20, Archival along with Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña met with Gov. Pamela Baricuatro over dinner.
In a news conference, Archival said while there were no discussions on major projects such as the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) and the 93-1 deal during their intimate gathering, the City is bent on pursuing the implementation of the 93-1 land swap deal entered into by the Cebu City Government and the Provincial Government in 2016.
The memorandum of agreement (MOA), signed by then mayor Tomas Osmeña and then governor Hilario Davide III, sought to resolve the decades-long dispute over 51 hectares of provincial lots in 11 Cebu City barangays — Busay, Luz, Lahug, Mabolo, Apas, Lorega, Kasambagan, Capitol Site, Tejero, Kamputhaw and Kalunasan.
Under the MOA, the Province would transfer to the City 32 hectares of these 93-1 lots, along with 1.5 hectares in the Department of Agriculture compound on M. Velez St., 2,358 square meters on Gorordo Ave. in Barangay Lahug and 577 square meters on Don Gil Garcia St. in Barangay Capitol Site.
In exchange, the City offered 2.5 hectares in the South Road Properties (SRP), 3.3 hectares behind SM City Cebu in Barangay Mabolo, 2.5 hectares for a botanical garden behind SM Seaside City Cebu in the SRP, nine hectares in Barangay Pulpogan in Consolacion, 1.37 hectares with a septage treatment plant, a 2,476-square-meter lot where the city abattoir stands and rights to the city zoo.
Provincial Ordinance 93-1
Archival, during his second meeting with the urban poor including 93-1 beneficiaries last Saturday, announced the creation of a working committee.
The 93-1 concern refers to a 1993 provincial ordinance that allowed informal settlers in province-owned lots within Cebu City to acquire ownership of the land they occupy.
However, the transfer of titles has been delayed for decades due to political deadlocks and the lack of implementing guidelines.
Archival said the City’s working committee will now coordinate with the Provincial Capitol to resolve remaining issues.
He recalled Baricuatro’s earlier pronouncement that she will honor agreements of the previous administrations.
The 93-1 land swap was partially implemented in 2018, under the administration of then-Mayor Osmeña, through a deed of donation and acceptance.
But the implementation hit a snag again due to administrative and legal hurdles with the return of then-Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia in 2019.
In revoking the deal, Garcia opted to offer the Capitol-owned lots to their beneficiaries through Pag-Ibig housing loan payment options.
Archival said the newfound partnership with Capitol opens more doors for long-term infrastructure coordination.
In a previous meeting with Baricuatro, the CBRT and the Metro Cebu Expressway (MCE) were identified as priority projects for their collaboration.
The MCE would ease travel in southern and northern Cebu, particularly for heavy vehicles, traveling between the City of Naga in the south and the northern towns of Compostela, Liloan and Consolacion and Danao City in the north via Cebu’s mountain ranges. / EHP