The Cebu Provincial Board (PB) has decided to defer action on the proposed resolution that would authorize Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III to enter and sign a deed of donation with the Cebu City government as part of the 93-1 land swap deal.
The resolution, which was presented during the PB’s session today, June 25, was deferred because the PB members still have questions about the deal that they decided to discuss in next week’s session.
The Capitol and Cebu City signed in December 2016 a memorandum of agreement (MOA) resolving the 93-1 lot dispute issue.
Under the MOA,the province will swap 32.4 hectares of its properties in Cebu City, which have been occupied by long-time settlers, in exchange for 16.42 hectares of open and commercially viable land owned by Cebu City.
This means that the Cebu City government will give up a portion of Block 27 in the North Reclamation Area , the city’s Septage Treatment Plant, a 2.5-hectare lot located at the South Road Properties (SRP), and the city-owned property in Barangay Pulpogan, Consolacion town in exchange for occupied lots located in 11 barangays in the city that are owned by the province.
Once Davide and Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña have signed the deeds of donation, the documents will be transmitted to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for the transfer of the ownership, said Provincial Legal Officer Orvie Ortega.
Ortega said they hoped to finalize the land swap deal before this year ends.