Portions of Mandurriao airport have no land title
Portions of the existing Iloilo Airport in Mandurriao district which is now being reviewed by the government prior to its sale have no title. The Department of Finance (DoF) and Air Transportation Office (ATO) is racing against time to sell the Mandurriao airport before the Iloilo Airport of International Standards in Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara opens in April next year.
The existing airport site would be sold to investors an is being envisioned to become the city's business hub in the future.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said DoF Undersecretary John Philip Sevilla recently met him and several officials and discussed the details on the immediate sale of the property. Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Secretary Leandro Mendoza will also visit the city next week to talk about the matter.
During their meeting, he learned that portions of the property have no land titles and is even divided by two roads. He said the untitled portion of the property is one of the issues to be resolved in Mendoza's future visit to Iloilo City.
He said the property was divided by two roads, one in Tabucan and the other one is in Villa Alegre. The developments implemented in the property brought about the division of the property. The road leading to the airport used to be straight. There was no "detour" road before, he said.
Though, the property already belongs to the Mandurriao airport, it will still go through a proper process of titling. It will take some time before the titling of property is made.
Treñas added that there are also informal settlers occupying portions of the property. The plan to sell the property will affect 200 families who are considered as informal settlers and 30 employees of ATO.
The question on who should give the relocatees a relocation site is still being discussed.
The DoF and DOTC will resolve the issue on the relocation site. The city government will only help them on how to relocate the affected families. The city also demanded that the relocatees should be relocated in the city and not outside the city.
The mayor said the two departments are still reconsidering on relocating the affected families first before selling the property or selling the property with much lesser price and the buyer should be the one who will look for the relocation site.