City Council blocks buying of new lots for relocation sites
The Sangguniang Panlungsod wants a moratorium on the purchase of additional lots to be used as relocation sites for informal settlers and squatters in the city until the Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (Icupao) could submit a report on the actual distribution of lots in relocation sites.
In last Wednesday's regular session, councilors Erwin Plagata, Eldrid Antiquiera, Perla Zulueta and Antonio Pesina all agreed that there should be proper accounting of the actual lots distributed to the less privileged. The quartet stressed they will reject all proposals for the procurement of additional lots to be used as relocation sites unless all the records are in place.
Pesina said the Icupao should furnish the City Council a report on the abandoned and reversion of homelots due to violations. It was also noted that there is no comprehensive report on the status of the repayment from the beneficiaries.
The councilors also found out that in most cases the title of the property has yet to be transferred to the recipients of the relocation sites. The recipients have been occupying the property and yet they have no land titles to prove their ownership of the property. It was learned that there are no subdivision plans in the 13 relocation sites of the city government.
The discussions on the additional procurement of lots to be used as relocation sites came up after the legislative body tackled the proposal of 91-year old Rogelio Tarrosa to sell his property in Barangay Lanit, Jaro at P150 per square meter.
The council rejected his proposal since the property is an irrigated farmland and is not exempted from the Agrarian Reform Law. The property is being offered to the city government as additional relocation site for the affected families of flood control project in Jaro and Lapaz districts.
During the discussion, Zulueta said there are already 13 relocation sites in the city, covering an area of 71.13 hectares. The city spent more than P160 million since the 1980s for the procurement of relocation sites.
The amount only covers the cost of the lot excluding developments such as drainage systems, electrification, open space for plazas or parks, roadways and other developments funded by the city government.