14 groups, Capitol ink lot buy deal

At least 14 homeowners associations, most of them occupying province-owned lots in Cebu City,  have the chance to buy the land by paying for their value within six months.

They signed an agreement with the Province of Cebu yesterday at the Cebu International Convention Center.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia signed the agreement  with  presidents of homeowners associations in seven barangays.

“I gave my solemn promise that before my term ends, I would resolve the 93-1 issue,” Garcia said during the event witnessed by Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“Today is the day which you should never forget considering that unlike in the past you were merely occupants of the property and always in danger of the probability that you might be removed from your possession,” said Binay.

“Today you are now lot owners of the property.”

Ownership isn’t automatic, however. The asociations have to pay a total of  P273,424,085.77 through government lending agencies within   six months from the day the MOA was signed or the Province can terminated the deal.

“We’re very happy to be given a chance to own our own house,” said Claudia Waskin, president of Sugbo-GK Village Homeowners’ Association Inc. which has 62 members.

Leonila Untal, 58, of the Railway Station HOA Inc. said she and  other members at first were cool to the idea, thinking it was impossible to achieve. But after the MOA signing, they  changed their mind.

“It’s indeed true that occupants can own the lots. So those who didn’t push through with the agreement can now look at them with envy,” said Untal in Cebuano.

Untal said only four of their 125 members have   acquired titles for the land.

The MOA involves lots in barangays Tejero, Kasambagan and Kalunasan; three associations  from barangay Busay; and one group in barangay Tunghaan, Minglanilla town.

It also covers six barangays covered by the lapsed Cebu Province Ordinance 93-1 and another organization not covered by the ordinance –  Actual Occupants and Residents OPRRA Kalunasan Inc.  led by  president Jack Rallos.

In the MOA, the province  agreed to sell, transfer and convey  lots to the homeowners associations subjec to terms of  payment to be later agreed on by parties “in coordination with some lending agencies or institutions.” /Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao