Despite not being constituents of Cebu Province, the 93-1 lot occupants expressed their gratitude to Gov. Gwen Garcia for her assistance in helping them acquire ownership of the Capitol properties that they are presently occupying.
“Pasalamat mig dako nimo nga bisan pa sa kadugay nga nataas-taas gyod ni, ikaw nagpabilin gihapon nga nagdasig, pabilin gihapon nga nisuporta kanamo,” Lilia Albores of Barangay Luz told Gov. Garcia during a meeting at the Capitol on Thursday, July 4.
The meeting was also attended by Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Garcia and Miram Loren, housing relationship officer at Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund.
Albores is just one of the 5,836 occupants currently residing on 93-1 lots in Cebu City but are owned by Cebu Province.
Earlier, July 2 had been set as deadline by the Capitol for the submission of the occupants’ housing applications with Pag-IBIG Fund. The application will be treated by the Capitol as the occupants’ willingness to pay so that the lots may be titled under their names.
But the deadline had once again lapsed, and Gov. Gwen learned during today’s meeting that there are others who were not able to turn in their applications on time because of some valid legal and technical reasons.
The governor, at the pleading of Acting Mayor Garcia, extended once again the deadline to August 8.
Acting Mayor Garcia also told his constituents who might be encountering difficulties in processing their application to avail of free legal services from his office where City Hall lawyers will be assigned to render services, such as drafting SPAs or notarial services, free of charge.
The 93-1 properties cover a total area of 51 hectares. These are located in the Barangays of Busay, Luz, Lahug, Mabolo, Apas, Lorega, Kasambagan, Capitol Site, Tejero, Kamputhaw, and Kalunasan in Cebu City.
Through Provincial Ordinance No. 93-1 passed by the Provincial Board in 1993, the Capitol now sells these lots to the occupants at fair market value.
To facilitate their payment, Gov. Gwen has tapped the Pag-IBIG Fund to grant them loan applications. In this scheme, Pag-IBIG Fund will pay the Capitol fair market value for the properties; while the occupants will pay Pag-IBIG under the agency’s more liberal paying terms that could be stretched to as long as 30 years. | BJR