CEBU City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has created an assistance desk to speed up the processing of documents for residents living on the lots covered by Provincial Ordinance 93-1.
The mayor signed Executive Order (EO) 14 on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, creating the 93-1 action center and help desk, which will cater to the needs of over 5,000 residents, most of whom have lived on the Province-owned lots for more than three decades without formal land titles.
The order also directs the City Assessor’s Office (CAO) to conduct an updated appraisal and valuation of the properties. These valuations will serve as the basis for financing terms offered by the Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-Ibig Fund.
The action center and help desk will operate through the CAO, Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP), the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO), and the City Legal Office (CLO).
Garcia appointed City Administrator Kristine Joyce Batucan as chairperson of the 93-1 Action Force. Other members include Councilor Renato Osmeña (vice-chair), CAO assistant head Nova Batiller, DWUP chief Ronald Anthony Librando, CTO head Mare Vae Reyes and CLO chief Santiago Ortiz.
Each homeowners’ association will designate a liaison officer, through a formal letter, to act as a bridge between the association and the City for communications and information-sharing.
When asked for her reaction, 93-1 movement president Emily Malto expressed uncertainty regarding the EO, saying most residents cannot afford the 93-1 lots.
Malto resides in Barangay Apas, one of the 11 barangays where the lots are located, covering a total area of 51 hectares. The other properties are in the barangays of Busay, Luz, Lahug, Mabolo, Lorega, Kasambagan, Capitol Site, Tejero, Kamputhaw and Kalunasan.
The 93-1 program traces back to Provincial Ordinance 93-1, which was enacted in 1993 to allow residents occupying provincial lots to purchase the land after completing full payments within a specified period.
However, delays, shifting political leadership and policy changes stalled the program for decades.
In 2016, the Provincial Government and the City Government signed a memorandum of agreement for a land swap. This was finalized in 2018 through separate deeds of donation and acceptance by then-governor Hilario Davide III and then-mayor Tomas Osmeña.
However, the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged this deal as it did not give its clearance because its auditors still had to review and approve the papers.
In 2022, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia restarted negotiations, choosing to directly engage with beneficiaries.
On Aug. 8, 2024, Garcia, then acting mayor, and Governor Garcia met with over 5,800 93-1 beneficiaries to set a deadline for loan applications to Pag-Ibig Fund, which bases its financing offers on the lots’ fair market value, as assessed by the city.
However, some residents expressed alarm over the high valuations.
Governor Garcia set a final deadline of March 7, 2025, for residents occupying the 93-1 lots in Cebu City to complete their Pag-Ibig Fund housing loan applications.
The governor’s executive order states that failure to process and complete the housing loan application by March 7 would be deemed a forfeiture of the opportunity to avail of the program. Any unprocessed applications after this date would no longer be entertained by the Province.
Last April, Governor Garcia said that only 93-1 occupants who submitted their housing loan applications before the March 7 deadline will be allowed to proceed with the purchase of the properties.
According to Mayor Garcia’s EO 14, the 93-1 action center and help desk will help resolve these long-standing issues by providing a dedicated venue for residents to complete paperwork, seek guidance, and track their progress toward formal land ownership.
EO 14 takes effect immediately and will remain in force until amended or revoked. All previous city policies inconsistent with the order are repealed or modified accordingly. / JPS