The proposed land swap agreement tied to the long-running 93-1 property issue is undergoing another review after the Cebu Provincial Government found disparities in the current market values of properties involved in the deal.
Provincial Administrator Ace Durano said recent assessments showed that Capitol-owned lots being considered for the swap now carry higher valuations than the properties being offered by Cebu City.
“Based man gud sa recent valuation on record, mas taas og valuation ang property sa provincial government compared sa valuation sa Cebu City government properties,” Durano said.
Because of this, the province plans to create a technical working group (TWG) that will handle negotiations and reassess the properties covered by the proposed exchange.
Durano said the TWG will include representatives from the Provincial Assessor’s Office, Provincial Legal Office, Provincial General Services Office, the Office of the Governor, and members of the Provincial Board.
He said the valuation gap remains one of the biggest hurdles in finalizing the agreement, noting that Commission on Audit regulations require property swaps to be “value per value.”
“The pending issue right now is to agree the valuations kay of course it is required by COA regulations if there will be a swapping, it should be value per value,” he said.
Part of the negotiations will also determine which portions of the 93-1 property may still be included in the deal.
Capitol records showed that only 46.02 hectares remain saleable out of the original 51.12-hectare property, while 14.09 hectares have already been sold to beneficiaries.
A total of 1,473 lots have already been fully paid and covered by Deeds of Absolute Sale.
“Pasabot ana dili na tibook ang yuta. Kahibaw na ang Cebu City ana,” Durano said.
The 93-1 issue stemmed from a 1993 provincial ordinance allowing long-time occupants of Capitol-owned lots in Cebu City to purchase the land they occupy.
A previous land swap agreement forged in 2018 between former governor Hilario Davide III and former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña was later revoked by former governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
Under the administrations of Governor Pamela Baricuatro and Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, discussions on reviving the land swap arrangement have resumed as both sides seek to settle the decades-old issue. (SBA)
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
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