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By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

THE city council on Monday approved an ordinance setting aside over P27 million so city hall could buy a property in Pahiron, Barangay Lumbia for survivors of the 2011 Typhoon Sendong devastation.

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Officials said the Lumbia property would be the site of a relocation center with some 722 housing units to be donated by the Japanese government through the Japan Non-Project Grant Aid.

Through City Ordinance no. 2016-1,  the city council approved more than P27 million to acquire the Lumbia property owned by heirs of Rizal Gador.

The city council also authorized Mayor Oscar Moreno to sign the deed of absolute sale.

The ordinance was authored by Councilor Edna Dahino.

“This was requested by the Sendong victims some time in October 2014. Murag wala nato kini mahatagi og pagtagad before,” said Dahino, chairperson of the city council’s committee on finance.

She said she went over  the documentary requirements, and everything was  in order.

“This is a long overdue request. We already made all the inspections, and it was deliberated diligently. This must be approved because this is for the homeless people of Cagayan de Oro,” Dahino said.

The approval was made despite apprehensions expressed by Councilor Romeo Calizo. He asked for one more week so he could go over the documents.

“I have some reservations on this issue. In all honestly, I am in favor of the construction of 722 housing units… [but]  I have not seen any of the annexes for the approval… I still have clouds of doubts,” he said.

Councilor Leon Gan told the city council that part of the Gador property has been classified as a timberland by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Gan also expressed apprehensions over reports that reached him that the the zoning value assessment of the property suddenly surged.

Gan said the zonal value suddenly surged to P265 per square meter from the original of P110 per square meter in 2014.

“I’m just inquiring because we might be held liable if we will immediately approve the measures. There was a delay in the passage of this ordinance because in 2014, there was no budget for land acquisition. There were several issues… We did not make any delay but we processed it diligently to avoid legal issues,” he said.

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