City DepEd refutes lot ownership claim

The Tagbilaran City Schools Division of the Department of Education (DepEd) is now challenging claims by City Mayor Dan Lim that the city government still owns the lot where they are eyeing to transfer its offices.
Documents showing that a 1.3 hectare lot that is partly occupied by the Tagbilaran City Science High School was indeed donated to the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (now DepEd) on November 6, 1998.

The deed of donation was executed between then City Mayor Jose Torralba and Bohol Schools Division Superintendent Cerina Bolos and City Schools District Supervisor Conchita Pizarras.

The said documents which were provided to the Chronicle, included two resolutions of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) providing for the said lot donation.

One of the said resolutiona which was adopted by the 4th Sangguniang Panlungsod, Resolution 90-44, authorized the city mayor to enter into a memorandum of agreement with DepEd for the said lot donation.

An examination of the said resolution, which was adopted on March 12, 1990, however shows that the donation to be executed between the city and the DepEd was “conditional” in nature.

The condition for the donation was that the lot will have to be reverted back to the ownership of the city government when the DepEd “will no longer use the same”.

The second resolution No. 95-06, adopted by the 5th Sangguniang Panlungsod on January 16,
1995, allowed the DepEd “to use indefinitely the conditional donation of the city government lot as the site for the city science high school.

Last week, Lim declared that the City DepEd will not be allowed to transfer to the City Science High School as he is planning to build additional classrooms in area.

The mayor said the DepEd has no right to transfer in the lot since it is still owned by the city.

Lim had given the DepEd 60 days to vacate their offices at the old city hall building following a dispute with City Schools Superintendent Norma Varquez on some policies, specifically the hiring of teachers.

In yesterday’s Mayor’s Report, Lim advised that if the DepEd want to transfer, they could do so at the City Central Elementary School or the Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School.

RECONCILIATION

Efforts to reconcile the mayor and the city schools head could bog down with this reaction from the DepEd.

Kag. Danilo Bantugan, chair of the Sanggunian committee on education, however told the Chronicle that he finds both parties willing to patch-up their differences.

He said, the disagreement between Lim and Varquez “is just a matter of differences in policy and management.”

Bantugan said he is working on avenues to initiate talks with the schools division head that could lead to positive development.
(KIT BAGAIPO)