News Briefs

MAHIGA CLEARING CONTINUES

AT least 30 more structures were removed from the three-meter easement zone along the Mahiga Creek in barangay Mabolo yesterday.

Noel Artes, head of the city’s demolition team, said the structures were voluntarily torn down by their owners in sitio Magtalisay. The affected families were issued notices to vacate and allowed to stay until their chapel fiesta ends.

The clearing happened barely a week after the Department of Interior and Local Government through lawyer Jesus Doque warned mayor Michael Rama against demolishing shanties without providing relocation to affected families.

The City Council yesterday passed a resolution sponsored by  Councilor Alvin Dizon to give Rama a copy of Doque’s letter. But Rama said the city complied with the Urban Housing and Development Act.

He said he is proposing the allocation of P10 million in livelihood capital for evicted families in the next supplemental budget, while the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor will take care of relocation. /Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac

CITY HALL LOT TITLE FOUND

AFTER a long search, the Cebu City government finally found the title of the 4,677-square meter City Hall lot.

Government Services Office head Rolando Ardosa said City Hall’s lot title was with the Register of Deeds at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.

He said they had difficulty finding the title because the property was registered under the   “Government of the City of Cebu,” not the “Cebu City Government.”

“All we have to do now is make the necessary changes in the records of the City Assessor since there has been no record of the land title.”

A copy of the title showed that “Municipality of Cebu”  owns the lot—the site of the city’s executive and legislative buildings.

When he found out that the city possessed only the tax declaration of the City Hall lot, Mayor Michael Rama ordered Ardosa to locate the lot’s missing title.

A tax declaration does not prove ownership of a property.  It only shows that the bearer pays  taxes for the subject property. /Correspondent Edison A. Delos Angeles

‘LET HEAVY-EQUIPMENT WORKERS STAY’

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama should order heavy-equipment operators to stay in their work areas until their projects are complete to hasten road maintenance in mountain barangays.

Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias, chairman of the City Council’s infrastructure committee, asked Rama  to order the operators to “report to the barangay captains for time-in and time-out to wherever barangay they are assigned to.”

The councilor said delays in road maintenance projects   is a common concern of mountain barangay captains.

“Heavy equipment operators assigned in the mountain barangays of Cebu City usually report for work at 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” the councilor said in a July 19 letter to the mayor.

Cabarrubias said this violates the code of ethics for Cebu City employees, which requires all employees “to perform their duties regularly and punctually.”

Cabarrubias told Cebu Daily News that the operators’ daily time records are kept at the engineering office beside City Hall.

They then take time traveling to the mountain barangays. /Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac

ROAD BLOCK IN MANDAUE

FOR the second time, a family tried to block a road in Mandaue City.

The Remedios family dug a pit where they dumped three banana trees in Pilit Road, barangay Cabancalan, Mandaue City, last Tuesday  afternoon.

They want the Mandaue City government to pay them for their lots used for the roads.

Madaue City Administrator James Abadia said he called the attention of the claimants yesterday evening.

The Remedios family is asking for the appraised market value of the lots but the government could only offer just compensation since the lot was used long ago, Abadia said.

“We are now still negotiating with them regarding the price. We should meet halfway,” Abadia.

The Remedioses cleared the road block after their meeting, Abadia said. He said the family has to  pay for damage on the road, which is now being fixed.

The Remedios clan first set up a road barricade of plywood, sacks filled with sand and two multicab vehicles last July 2. /USJ-R Masscom Intern Giovanni F. Garcia