Summary:
The Cebu Provincial Government created a technical working group on Thursday, May 21, 2026, to revive stalled negotiations with Cebu City over the decades-long 93-1 land swap dispute.
Provincial Administrator Joseph Felix Durano stated that property valuation remains the main issue to settle, emphasizing that any property exchange between the two local government units must be "value for value."
Enacted in 1993, the program affects urban poor occupants across 11 Cebu City barangays who want the dispute settled after the province withdrew from a 2018 agreement in April 2025.
THE Cebu Provincial Government has created a technical working group (TWG) to revive stalled negotiations with Cebu City officials over the decades-long 93-1 land swap dispute.
Cebu Provincial Administrator Joseph Felix Durano said on Thursday, May 21, 2026, that the TWG will continue discussions with the city government to advance the long-delayed property exchange.
“First, (the TWG should work on) an acceptable valuation to the provincial government on the properties offered to Cebu City and also, for Cebu City to accept the valuations as well of the properties owned by the provincial government and owned by Cebu City Government,” Durano said.
He stressed that any exchange must be equitable for both local government units.
“It should be value for value,” Durano said.
The TWG was created in line with Governor Pamela Baricuatro’s Executive Order (EO) No. 4, one of her first 12 issuances on her first day in office in June 2025. The order established a task force to study and propose a long-term solution to the dispute.
Durano said the valuation of properties remains the main issue that must be settled before any exchange can proceed.
He said 1,473 lots have already been sold, while the remaining sellable area covers 460,232.24 hectares out of a total 511,273 hectares.
The TWG will handle technical and legal evaluation of the properties involved.
“This has been pending for the longest time. For their peace of mind, the occupants want things settled. They will have their own deal, whether with the provincial government or the Cebu City government,” Durano said when asked about the timeline.
The TWG will be composed of officials from the Assessor’s Office, Legal Office, General Services Office, Office of the Governor, and members of the Provincial Board.
Enacted through Provincial Ordinance 93-1 in 1993, the program allows urban poor residents to acquire lots owned by the provincial government across 11 barangays in Cebu City, including Busay, Luz, Lahug, Mabolo, Apas, Lorega, Kasambagan, Capitol Site, Tejero, Kamputhaw, and Kalunasan.
In August 2018, then Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and former Governor Hilario Davide III signed a major land swap agreement to resolve the issue. The province agreed to donate 32 hectares of occupied lots to the city in exchange for prime properties, including parcels in the South Road Properties (SRP) and Mabolo.
In April 2025, former Governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced that the Capitol had withdrawn from the 2018 deal due to discrepancies, and imposed a deadline limiting eligibility to occupants with active Pag-IBIG Fund housing loan applications. / CDF