A LOCAL civic group is up in arms against an ordinance providing for the planned conversion of Xavier University Masterson Campus and Manresa Town, reclassifying it from institutional use into a commercial area.
Claiming that the move raises more questions than answers to the city’s significant problems consisting of congestion, worsening traffic, air, noise, and waste pollution, and other ecological concerns such as flooding, the Cagayan de Oro Parents, Teachers, Alumni, and Communities (Coptac), opposes the Xavier University (XU) and Cebu LandMasters Inc plan to convert significant portions of the XU downtown and uptown campuses into commercial areas.
“Classifying land uses in a rapidly growing city like Cagayan de Oro is a major activity that brings about long-term social, economic, and environmental impacts to the city and its people, and local governments are entrusted with the public’s trust to proceed with prudent deliberation on matters brought to their offices for action,” Coptac’s statement reads in part.
They are expected to do so in consultation with and with the participation of communities and stakeholders that will be affected.
The previous city council passed City Ordinance No. 14339-2022, re-zoning the land use classification of the lots intended for the development of the XU Masterson Campus and Manresa Town on June 27, 2022, after the legislative body received the first endorsement from the Ramir M. Balquin, OIC City Planning and Development Coordinator, in response to the request of Mark Leo M. Chang, representative of Xavier University and Cebu Landmasters, Inc. to outgoing Mayor Oscar S. Moreno.
Coptac has also sent a letter to newly-elected Mayor Rolando A. Uy, manifesting their opposition to the ordinance and detailing their reasons for opposing it.
Coptac was organized to advocate for the preservation of invaluable heritage landmarks in the city and is opposed to the plan to convert what they claim are priceless and historic XU downtown and uptown campuses.
