CEBU Governor Gwendolyn Garcia reiterated on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, that the Cebu Provincial Government owned the Osmeña Boulevard and its surrounding area from the Cebu Capitol Building to Fuente Osmeña Rotunda.
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This comes after former Cebu City Mayor Tomas "Tommy" Osmeña questioned on Tuesday, March 5, the Cebu Provincial Government's ownership of the lot along Osmeña Boulevard where the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project is being implemented.
The dispute arose because of the Cebu Provincial Government's objection to the construction of the CBRT along Osmeña Boulevard.
Garcia said that their ownership of the Osmeña Boulevard was the result of a land swap deal between the Cebu Provincial Government and the Cebu Heights Inc. that started in the late 1930s.
The subject of the deal was the Province’s properties in Barangay Banilad and the lots along Osmeña Boulevard under the Cebu Heights Inc. ownership.
However, the deal faced controversies, in which Garcia said that the late governor Sergio Osmeña Jr. at that time was also the president and principal stockholder of Cebu Heights Inc.
Due to the controversies, the properties were returned to their respective owners, Garcia stated.
She added that what remained was the road right-of-way, which persists to this day. (EHP)