In a SunStar report that came out on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, Rebecca Flordeliz, president of the Alliance of Barangay Apas Community Associations, said she will ask Gov. Pam Baricuatro to base the prices of 93-1 lots on socialized housing rates. Otherwise, they’ll end up shelling out up to P35,000 per square meter.
I see her point.
But if the Province does agree to the group’s request, there should be a caveat: the beneficiaries cannot resell the lot unless it’s based on socialized housing rates, and they can only sell to the Provincial Government or the City Government. There must also be a specific timeframe for compliance. Otherwise, they should be evicted.
This seems like a fair compromise, don’t you think?
Emily Malto, president of the Provincial Order 93-1 Movement, was less subtle. In the same report, she said their request would be for their lots to be donated to them.
And that’s the crux of the matter. These people are employing delay tactics. They’re not interested in paying. If they were, they would have moved heaven and earth a long time ago.
At least now, the cat is out of the bag.
To those who still don’t know what the 93-1 issue is all about, here’s a refresher.
In a nutshell, 93-1 refers to Ordinance 93-1, passed by the Cebu Provincial Board and approved by then-Gov. Tingting Dela Cerna back in 1993. Under this ordinance, the Provincial Government decided to sell provincial lots across several barangays in Cebu City to their occupants.
The lots covered by the 93-1 ordinance are distributed in Barangays Apas, Luz, Camputhaw, Capitol Site, Busay, T. Padilla, Kalunasan, Lorega San Miguel, Mabolo, Kasambagan and Tejero.
The deal was that occupants could acquire ownership by paying the full amortization within a set timeframe, which was initially two years.
Mind you, some — or should I say a few — have complied and paid for their lots in full, and thus have in their possession the deeds of absolute sale.
I don’t have the exact figures, but in the latter part of 2008 alone, the Provincial Government distributed a total of 217 deeds of absolute sale.
So it’s fair to say that the lot owners were the ones interested in legitimizing their stay by coming up with the needed amount for the transaction. After all, they had 15 years to do so. I don’t know how they did it, but they did.
Now, what excuse do the others have, considering they have had double the time to look for the money to pay the Province? Thirty-two years is a long time. In fact, in places like Barangay Luz, many small businesses have sprouted up.
My question is, have they been paying rent to the Province since 1993? If not, that means their occupancy of the lot is illegal? Am I right?
I don’t know what the arrangement is, and perhaps it’s a good time to ask the stakeholders about the real situation on the ground.
You see, it’s really hard to solve a problem when it appears the occupants are not interested in a solution. After all, they already have the cake and have been eating it for more than three decades. No wonder they don’t want the party to stop.
But what about the others who did pay? They worked hard to come up with the money. They’re now even paying realty taxes because they legally own their lots. It’s hardly fair to them, especially with the looming rate adjustments.
I get it. Times are hard these days. Money is hard to come by. But I know for a fact that many 93-1 occupants don’t qualify as urban poor. Some of their houses have three floors and are fully air-conditioned. If you don’t believe me, go and look for yourself.
Barangay Apas is home to the I.T. Park, while Barangays Luz and Mabolo are a stone’s throw from the Cebu Business Park. Let’s face it, most if not all of the 93-1 lots are considered prime real estate, even if they are located within the city’s socialized housing zone.
I understand why their key concern is the pricing. That is, if they are truly serious about paying.