WITH the necessity to relocate the Buhisan Elementary and Night School due safety concerns, the Cebu City Government is seeking to expedite the procurement of a piece of land where a new school building will be constructed.
In a press conference on Monday, March 24, 2025, Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia instructed the Cebu City Appraisal Committee to speed up the review on the price offer of the proposed relocation site for the school facility, situated behind the Buhisan Barangay Hall.
Once the appraisal committee approves a recommended amount, the process of procuring the property can begin, Garcia said.
The appraisal committee, Garcia explained, is responsible for determining and appraising the property and providing a recommended fair amount for its purchase.
The committee includes representatives from the City Assessor’s Office, City Accounting Office and City Treasurer’s Office.
The appraisal committee will determine a fair amount for the property, taking into consideration if the land has a title, as titled land is generally more expensive than untitled land or land under tax declaration with the aim to negotiate a lower price to save costs for city government.
Delay
Garcia said the search for a relocation site began in 2019, and an offer for a property was already made during the time of former mayor Tomas Osmeña and late mayor Edgardo Labella. The progress might have been hindered due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Buhisan Barangay Captain Gremar Barete questioned the delayed response from the City Government regarding the school’s relocation. In response, Garcia acknowledged lapses in the previous administration but emphasized that his tenure as mayor only began in October 2024, after the pandemic had officially ended by 2022.
The proposed 5,000 square meter lot, located behind the barangay hall and across the Kinalumsan River, was considered the most suitable location,according to barangay officials and the Local School Board (LSB).
The LSB will provide the budget allocation for the land purchase, where one percent of the annual budget is allocated earmarked for school construction projects, including land acquisition.
Garcia said that the lot owner initially offered P4,000 to P5,000 per square meter in 2019, and has not increased the price ever since. However, the final price is not up to the sellers but will be determined by the city appraisal committee.
According to Barete, in 2019, the private lot owner agreed to sell the 5,000-square meter lot area at a price of P5,750 per square meter to the City Government. However, a latest appraisal rate from the City Assessors tagging the lot price at P200 per sqm might delay the procurement.
As the 2025 midterm election is fast approaching, Garcia said the election ban might delay the lot procurement. However he believed that the finalization of the land purchase can happen after the elections, potentially even before June 30, 2025.
Classes
As to the suspension of face-to-face classes and shifting to modular distance learning, Garcia said that the discretion falls under the school principal. The barangay captain reportedly does not fully agree with calling off classes due to the unsuitability of the school’s current location for the students’ demographics.
According to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Central Visayas (MGB 7) report, the school facility is situated in generally rugged terrain, with an elevation of 60 meters above sea level, along the sloping mountain bounding the Kinalumsan River valley, making it prone to erosion, especially during extreme weather conditions.
The ground is composed of weak rock layers like mudstone, shale, conglomerate, and limestone, making the area more prone to landslides.
Cracks have been discovered in the school building, further necessitating urgent action.
The Cebu City Council recently declared a “state of emergency” at the school facility, aligning with an earlier resolution by the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
This decision was based on expert assessments from the MGB-7, the Department of Engineering and Public Works and the Office of the Building Official, which identified a high risk of landslides, especially during heavy rainfall. / EHP