After decades of living in uncertainty on a Capitol-owned lot at the Old Philippines Railway Residents’ Association (OPRRA) located in Brgy. Kalunasan, Cebu City, Marlyn Brigoli and her family may finally rest secured that they will never be threatened by whispers of eviction ever again.
On April 2, Brigoli and her fellow occupants of Capitol-owned lots in Cebu City, including those from 93-1 properties, witnessed the “Kaliwaan Ceremony” held at the Capitol Social Hall between the Provincial Government and Pag-Ibig Fund.
“Once a house, now a home. Sauna yuta rana, karon property nga atong i-treasure hantod sa atong mga apo, sa mga apo, sa mga apo,” said Brigoli during the ceremony.
Under the “Kaliwaan” Gov. Gwen Garcia received from Pag-Ibig Fund Cebu Housing Business Center Department Manager Wilmer Lirazan five checks with accumulated worth of P22.3 million as purchase price for 16 Capitol-owned lots, covering the obligations of 16 qualified and fully compliant occupants, including Brigoli.
In return, Lirazan received from Gov. Gwen the Deeds of Sale covering the said purchased properties to satisfy Pag-Ibig Fund’s requirement for a collateral in issuing credit lines to its clients.
“Gov. Gwen Garcia made true sa iyang saad. Gusto gyod siya mohatag natog kaugalingon natong puy-anan nga matawag natong atong panimalay,” Brigoli added.
Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia graced this historic event which has finally given these 16 households peace of mind over their occupied lots, something which previous governors and past city mayors failed to achieve.
The Kaliwaan, an idea proposed by the Governor to Pag-Ibig Fund executives, allowed the agency to do its job, having been mandated by law to provide affordable shelter financing for Filipinos.
Under the system, Pag-Ibig Fund pays the Capitol up front the zonal valuation of its occupied properties in Cebu City; while the occupants will have repay Pag-IBIG under the agency’s more liberal paying terms that could be stretched to as much as 30 years.
While this provides much-needed credit line to lot occupants, this also allows the Provincial Government to defend its rights on its properties in the city by selling them at a price that is not prejudicial to the Cebuanos of the Province.
“This will be the beginning of a situation wherein you will finally own your land and you will finally have a title to your land. This just shows nga with cooperation, tinabangay, makab-ot gyud diay nato ang atong pangandoy,” Mayor Garcia said. | SN