Lack of docs delays land swap deal anew

City acquires P2.5M trash weighing bridge

The 5,000 beneficiaries of the 93-1 land swap deal will have to wait a little longer before the properties will be legally transferred to them.

Last June 5, during the regular session, Cebu City Council's committee on laws, ordinances and styling has withdrawn its report on the resolution authorizing Mayor Tomas Osmeña to sign the Deed of Donation and Acceptance with the Province of Cebu on the land swap deal.

Councilor Sisinio Andales, chairman of the said committee, told The FREEMAN that the proponent of the resolution, Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr., failed to provide documents of the deed of donation and acceptance of the 2.5- hectare lot in the South Road Properties.

"No supporting documents attached to the request for the approval of donations and acceptance of SRP in favor of Cebu Province which is part of the provision of the large scope of land swap," he said.

The 2.5-hectare lot in SRP is among the properties of the city government involved in the 93-1 land swapping.

Andales was supposed to move for the approval of the committee report but due to the lack of necessary documents, he decided to withdraw it.

On February 27 this year, the city council referred Gabuya's resolution to the committee on laws, ordinances and styling in order to review the matter following the appropriate legal procedure.

Other properties of the city that will be swapped with the 32.4 hectares of lot covered by Provincial Ordinance No. 93-1 include the 13,711square-meter lot of its Sewerage Treatment Plant, 2,475-square-meterslaughterhouse at the North Reclamation Area, ninehectare property in Pulpogan, Consolacion, the 3.3-hectare Block 27, Block 27-A and Block 27-B including the road between them at the North Reclamation Area.

However, Gabuya still has to check whether or not he did not submit the documents for the SRP lots.

But based on its initial review, the committee sees no problem in allowing Osmeña to sign the deed of donation and acceptance to legally transfer the properties to the province as it is not contrary to law.

To recall, on December 7, 2016 Osmeña and Gov. Hilario Davide III signed the Memorandum of Agreement of the land swapping after the city council authorizes the former through a resolution.

Resolving the 93-1 issue was among the promises made by Osmeña and Davide when they assumed office after in 2016.

The 93-1 beneficiaries are from 11 barangays namely Kamputhaw, Capitol Site, Kalunasan, Busay, Luz, Lahug, Mabolo, Apas, Lorega, San Miguel, Kasambagan, and Tejero.—

Leyson/MBG

Odessa O.

After almost two years of not having an operational weighing bridge for garbage hauling, the Cebu City Government has finally acquired a brand new one.

The P2.5-million weighing bridge is completely installed in the service area of the controversial landfill in Barangay Inayawan.

Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr., chairman on public services, said that last March, Albatech, supplier of the equipment, started the installation and it was completed last week.

Under the terms of reference set by the city government, the supplier is given at least three months to put up the weighing scale in Inayawan.

In 2017, the city council has set aside P3 million for the procurement of a brand new weighing scale.

Last February 2018, the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) declared Albatech, a supplier based in Mandaue City, as the winning bidder.

Gabuya said the weighing bridge will be officially functional after the calibration process on Wednesday to be conducted by the Department of Science and Technology.

By then, the city government can utilize its new weighing bridge which is important in the daily hauling operation to check how many tons of trash were disposed at the private landfill in Consolacion.

Since the old weighing scale of the city became unserviceable in June 2016, the city government has assigned two city hall workers to monitor how the private landfill weighs the city's trash using the weighing bridge of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Minglanilla town.

Executive Assistant to the Mayor for special projects Randy Navarro said the capacity of the new weighing scale is 60 tons which is 30 tons more than the capacity of the old one.

A turn over ceremony will be held on June 15, 2018. —

Odessa O. Leyson/MBG