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CEBU CITY, Philippines ? Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama is considering leasing the property the city intended to swap with the Cebu provincial government to generate income for the city.
But Rama said the terms of any possible lease agreement will have to be discussed first with the city council and with the City Administrator Francisco Fernandez.
The 3.4-hectare property known as block 27?A located in the North Reclamation Area was supposed to be given away to the provincial government in exchange for the property covered by the 93-1 provincial ordinance.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña offered to swap the property with those lots covered under the 93-1 provincial ordinance to spare those who would be relocated from the province-owned lots.
The deal, however, fell through as the local executives, Osmeña and Governor Gwendolyn Garcia's relationship turned sour when Rama issued a statement, insinuating that the province enjoyed unfair advantage of the deal.
Since then, the provincial government has issued almost 800 deeds of absolute sale to the affected families in the lots covered by the 93-1 ordinance. Those who were given deeds fully paid so that they can process the lot titles.
?(So) there will be no land swapping if the province is already giving titles,? Rama said.
The province's 435,991 square meter property is spread in 11 barangays (villages) and has a worth of P3 billion.
Any possible lease from the private sector of the city's block 27-A property will have to undergo public bidding.
?I have no qualms on the direction to lease the property,? Rama said.
However, all issues and conditions for the terms will have to be settled first before an actual lease but he said he is biased to having an open space but he was also thinking of the money generated from the probable lease.
?I am biased to putting up open spaces, but having a property that will generate more income for the city will also mean the enhancement of basic services,? Rama said.
He was not, however, keen on selling the property.
The floor price for the lease will have to be the same as the South Reclamation Property (SRP) which is at P70 per square meter per month. /Marian Z. Codilla
