Pam Baricuatro: Lot swap still best option to address 93-1 dispute

Gubernatorial aspirant Pamela Baricuatro (center) during a PDP convergence meeting held on October 10, 2024. | CDN Photo/ Pia Piquero

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu – For Cebu gubernatorial aspirant Pamela Baricuatro the proposed lot swap remains as the best solution to the 93-1 lot dispute.

Baricuatro made her statement on Friday, March 7, which was also the deadline set by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for the occupants to process their housing loan application with Pag-IBIG Fund.

She said that it was impossible for most of the lot occupants to qualify for a Pag-IBIG loan due to income requirements.

READ: Capitol mulls ‘direct deal’ with 93-1 occupants instead

“Many affected families do not qualify for Pag-IBIG housing loans due to income requirements, leaving them without a viable solution,” Baricuatro said.

“How can we force compliance when the system itself excludes the very people it is meant to help? The Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA) is clear in its intent—housing programs must be socially just and pro-poor, ensuring that the rights of marginalized communities are safeguarded,” she added.

READ: Capitol seals deal with 93-1 occupants

93-1 issues

Baricuatro has expressed deep concern over issues surrounding the 93-1 properties that have remained unresolved for years now.

Properties identified under Provincial Ordinance 93-1 are owned by the provincial government but are currently occupied by Cebu City residents.

Baricuatro said she supports the memorandum of agreement that was signed in December 2016 by then Mayor Tomas Osmeña and former governor Hilario Davide III that will allow a land swap deal between the city and the provincial government.

“This was more than a legal document—it was a commitment to the people of Cebu City, ensuring that informal settlers living on provincial lots would finally gain rightful ownership of their homes. The Cebu Provincial Board’s decision to revoke this agreement, without proper consultation with the Cebu City Council, is a breach of trust and a disregard for collaborative governance,” she said.

Lot swap

For the 93-1 issue to be resolved, Baricuatro is proposing for the reinstatement of the land swap deal agreement as she also pushes for the creation of a mediation team that would ensure a balance and transparent resolution of the issue.

In addition, Baricuatro said there was a need to provide legal protection to affected residents and alternative housing solutions.

She is also urging the city and the provincial governments to work together instead of engaging in political grandstanding. Regular consultations, open forums, and genuine partnerships must be established to ensure that governance serves the interests of the people, not political interests.