He came and he listened but Vice President Jejomar Binay offered no specific answers for the land dispute between the Capitol and Cebu City over 5,000 families occupying government-owned lots.
He appealed to urban poor settlers to reach a “happy compromise” with the Province, which owns the land.
If occupants had their way, they would buy the land at the 1993 level of less than P1,000 per square meter.
At a forum at a restaurant in Cebu City, beneficiaries repeated their proposal that they be allowed to continue paying by installment for the land even at 6 percent interest a year.
Out of 5,000 urban poor households occupying lots covered by Provincial Ordinance 93-1, 1,410 already paid their obligations in full to the Capitol.
Another 1,214 made partial payments. The Capitol suspended disposing of the lots when a 2004 deadline ended, and refused to accept payments from buyers.
“We cannot solve this immediately. What we would like you to do is come up with a ‘happy’ compromise with the provincial government. That is the same thing we will be asking from them (Capitol),” Binay told the settlers who came from barangay Luz, Apas, Kalunasan and Capitol Site.
Binay, who is also chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), gathered the occupants and government officials covered by Presidential Proclamation (PP) 409 and the Provincial Ordinance 93-1.
The vice president made a short visit to Cebu City to explore solutions for urban poor settlers.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was at the dialogue with 93-1 beneficiaries in Laguna Garden Cafe in Ayala Center.
There was an awkward moment when he waved and tried to greet his former ally Rep. Tomas Osmeña, who arrived with former Rep. Raul del Mar.
When Osmeña wouldn’t even look in his direction, the mayor didn’t advance.
Osmeña spoke in the forum, saying he doubts the issue of 93-1 will be resolved because he questioned the sincerity of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
Reviving a 2008 issue of Rama’s remarks “dawat limpyo,” which upset negotiations for a land swap with City Hall, Osmeña said the land dispute would have been resolved if not for Rama’s “grandstanding” speech as vice mayor, which insulted the governor who withdrew from negotiations.
“The issue here now is the credibility of whether the governor will be willing,” Osmeña said.
“We had come up with a solution that I presented before the City Council to ask for their authority to sign. The vice mayor gave a big insult to the governor in a privilege speech. I have a copy of that speech,” recalled Osmeña.
Mayor Rama, who was one seat away, listened without a stoic face.
Sought later by reporters for a reaction, Rama said, “That (land swap) has been an overdiscussed matter.”
He said what is important now is that parties like Binay and himself are willing to help the residents find security.
“The issue here now is the credibility of whether the governor will be willing as she already agreed to a land swap to come up with that kind of a compromise,” said Rama.
Vice President Binay yesterday also sought out the Alliance of Barangay Apas Community Association (Abaca), whose residents will have to move out once the Capitol makes good its pledge to recover the lot they donated to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for a military reserve.
“This is not the end of the advisory consultation. We need your suggestion; after all, it is you who know the problems,” Binay told the beneficiaries.
PP 409 declared the 80-hectare land in barangay Apas as socialized housing while Ordinance 93-1 sets guidelines to dispose several province-owned properties in Cebu City to the actual occupants.
Congressman Osmeña and Del Mar attended Binay’s meeting with Abaca residents at the Sacred Heart Center before joining him in the dialogue with the 93-1 settlers.
Capitol consultant Jose Ma. Gastardo, who represented the provincial, just stood at the back of the room listening.
Emily Malto, president of sitio Anagan Homeowners Association Inc., said the beneficiaries, those who have partially paid and those who haven’t paid at all, should be allowed to continue paying their property within another five years at a price set in 1993, which is less than P1,000 per square meter.
The prices vary based on the location of their property.
They proposed that partial payments be considered “earnest money” or an advance payment instead of having the Capitol decide to forfeit it.
They said they are willing to pay the balance subject to a 50 percent increase as stated in the provincial ordinance.
Those who have not paid are willing to pay for the land using the price set in 1993 with a 75 percent cost increase.
Vice President Binay said their proposals just repeated their past position.
He said he would have wanted the settlers to consider the stand of the province so a solution could be reached.With correspondents Carmel Loise Matus and Edison delos Angeles