Tomas says approval was his ‘greatest achievement’

93-1 LAND SWAP DEAL

Despite all the problems that he has been facing recently, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña was still able to put on a jovial mood yesterday after scoring what he termed as one of his biggest achievements as city mayor.

Osmeña was referring to the agreement between the Cebu City government and the Cebu Provincial government to finally enact the decades-old, 93-1 land swap deal.

In a press conference yesterday, Osmeña said he considers it “bigger than the landslide victory” of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) during the Association of Barangay Council (ABC) elections on Monday (July 30).

“This is one of my greatest achievements,” said Osmeña.

The enactment of the land swap deal between the city and Capitol was finalized after the Provincial Board (PB) approved a resolution authorizing Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III to sign the deed of donation and acceptance with the city government to legally dispose of properties covered under 93-1.

Last July 5, the city council has also greenlighted the resolution for Osmeña to enter into a similar transaction with the Capitol.

The lands under 93-1 can only be disposed of legally and in actuality once the Capitol and the city government sign the deed of donation.

Terrified residents, no more

Osmeña added that the approval of the 93-1 deal meant the security of tenure of 5,000 Cebu City families who now occupy around 32-hectares of province-owned land.

“Sa gawas murag isog sila (urban poor), but inside they are terrified. They are terrified that one day they will get a letter asking them to move out,” Osmeña added.

The land swap will allow the province and the city to exchange properties, with Capitol giving 32 hectares of land to Cebu City.

This includes a 2,358 square-meter lot in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, and a 1.5 hectare lot in the Department of Agriculture compound along M. Velez Street in Barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City.

In turn, the City will donate five properties to the Province.

The City will also donate a 2.5-hectare lot at the South Road Properties (SRP) and a nine-hectare property located in Pulpogan, Consolacion northern Cebu.

The deal has been mothballed for years and has caused a major and well publicized feud between Osmeña and former Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

But now that Osmeña has reclaimed city hall and with Davide as a known ally, the deal is expected to be completed smoothly. /Gerard Vincent Francisco USJ-R Intern  with Reporter Morexette Marie B. Erram