MIGUELITO Marson, 70, has seen his four children grow to become professionals under the roof of their one-story home beside the University of the Philippines (UP) campus in barangay Lahug in Cebu City.
But the humble abode laden with memories from Marson’s 43-year stay may soon end.
UP Cebu, which owns the 14-hectare property across the Lahug barangay hall which includes the lot where Marson’s house stands, plans to construct a new high school building.
That would mean thousand families residing in the area will soon have to vacate their homes to give way to the project. “We grew up here. We acquired the lot by ourselves but we don’t have a title,” Marson told Cebu Daily News in Cebuano. Marson’s 69-year-old wife Candelaria laments their impending eviction.
P60M building
UP Cebu Dean Liza Corro, said the college must proceed with the construction of the new building “as soon as possible” or else the P60 million budget for the building will revert to UP’s general fund. The bidding for the project’s contract is set to be held within the month, Corro said.
Not obligated
Since UP Cebu is an educational institution, Corro said it is not obligated to provide a relocation site for the affected settlers.
In this case, it is the Cebu City government’s “obligation to provide the relocation,” she said.
“We’re not saying that we’ll only close our eyes. We’re very sensitive about this that’s why we called for the meeting but only a few came,” she added.
Members of the Lahug Central Homeowners Association want UP to prove its ownership of the property saying UP should give the property back to the provincial government since the Cebu Junior College no longer exists. However, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III earlier clarified that the area is “UP property” since they were able to produce a copy of the lot’s deed of donation which was executed in 1968. A number of the families rely on their small businesses for livelihood, Marson said. Most of the families residing by the roadside have put up shops while others converted their homes into boarding houses.