City undecided yet on Lorega Condoville land

While they now have the keys to their condominium units, it remains unclear if the Cebu City government would allow families from the old Lorega Cemetery to also own the lot where their urban poor condominiums are built on.

Mayor Michael Rama said yesterday that he still has to discuss the matter with the occupants, the Department for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) of City Hall and Lorega barangay officials.

He also wanted Gawad Kalinga (GK), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and city administrator Jose Marie Poblete to be present during the meeting which he wanted to be called soon.

“Ug ato nang ibaligya unya ug dili ra sad sila maka afford, wala ra gihapon na (If we sell it, they still cannot afford. It will just redound to nothing),” the mayor said.

Rama said that since the removal of tombs, the property may now be valued at P20,000 per sq. meters.

However, he does not also want the city government to make money from the property at the expense of its urban poor occupants.

“The city government is not in business but to address the social problem of homelessness  and absorb its social cost,” said Rama.

Rama said he also wanted to make sure that cemetery lot occupants are prioritized for accommodation at the GK Condoville I.

In 2010, the City Council passed a resolution declaring  9,000 sq. meters of the 1.9-hectare cemetery lot as socialized housing site.

Former north district representative Raul del Mar allocated P10 million from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for the construction of a three storey, 60-door condominium unit while P2 million was donated by a non-government organization headed by Fr. Max Abalos.

At least 40 of the 60 condominium units are now ready for occupancy.

About 18 units have already been turned over to the beneficiaries last Friday.

Del Mar said in an earlier interview that it would be best for its occupants if the city government to make a donation of the property occupied by Condoville I or enter into a usufruct agreement with its occupants.

Rama said yesterday that Del Mar should not dictate.

“Who is he to challenge when he’s not even the lot owner. Don’t even challenge the office of the mayor even if you are  congressman. But he’s not even an incumbent congressman,” he said.

The mayor said the city government will decide what to do with its properties.

Rama said he wanted to sit down with occupants and concerned agencies to decide what to do with the Condoville lot. Doris C. Bongcac, Chief of Reporters