SEVERAL BENEFICIARIES of province-owned lots covered under Provincial Ordinance 93-1 objected to the provincial government’s counter-proposal for the city to pay P500 million plus a 3.3-hectare lot near SM Seaside City Cebu as payment.
In yesterday’s press conference at Fort San Pedro, beneficiary Bebe Baleriano said the counter-proposal violates Republic Act 7279 or the Housing and Urban Development Act.
“It’s unconstitutional since the province is making a business out of (the lots) and they are not prioritizing the majority and it should not be made into a business by the provincial government,” Baleriano said.
Baleriano said the city government’s offer of P500 million payment should be followed based on an earlier agreement made with the province.
The counter-proposal stemmed from the valuation made by the province’s appraisal committee of the province-owned lots, which amounted to P2.3 billion.
The lots are located in barangays Kamputhaw, Capitol Site, Kalunasan, Busay, Luz, Lahug, Mabolo, Apas, Lorega, Kasambagan and Tejero in Cebu City and has an aggregate area of 51 hectares.
Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said their counter-proposal isn’t focused on profit.
“This is not a business decision by the province because if we made it a business decision, there are already developers interested,” Magpale said.
Both provincial and city government officials met at the City Sports Club to address the issue.
Magpale said the province and the city initially approved a verbal agreement but she declined to elaborate./Correspondent Melissa Q. Cabahug and Cebu Technological University Intern Marc Eric Cosep