CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — A government directive to investigate a major land deal here could redefine the future of the 64.7-hectare property in Upper Carmen.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Central Office has ordered its Northern Mindanao office to investigate whether the joint venture between the Jesuit-run Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan (XU) and Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI), a publicly listed developer, violates conditions of the university’s original land grant.

The core issue is whether land granted to XU for educational purposes under Section 70 of the Public Land Act (Commonwealth Act 141) can legally accommodate a commercial joint venture.

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Depending on the findings, the government could file a reversion case — a legal mechanism to reclaim public land if grant conditions are broken.

Members of the Concerned XU Alumni, Parents, Teachers, and Community, Inc. (COPTAC) recently presented a memorandum from the DENR Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs, Enforcement, and Human Resources. The memo directs the regional office (DENR-10) to investigate the property's legal history.

COPTAC noted XU acquired the property through Sales Patent No. V-2476, which legally restricts the land’s use to the purpose stated in its original application. Under the law, educational institutions granted land by the state cannot sell, transfer, lease, or use the property for unrelated commercial purposes.

“This is a matter of public concern,” said COPTAC legal counsel Ralph Angelo Metrillo, adding that the group reviewed records dating back to the 1950s.

COPTAC submitted a 14-page position paper to DENR-10 outlining four legal questions regarding the XU-CLI joint venture and the potential for land reversion. The paper is currently under review by the DENR Legal Division.

For local residents, the probe's outcome will dictate whether Manresa remains preserved for education and agriculture or shifts toward mixed-use commercial development. CLI announced in 2021 a deal to acquire 14.3 hectares of Manresa for a commercial and residential township.

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COPTAC vice president Gemma Pabayo-Velasco claimed the university and its partner lacked sufficient legal due diligence. The group also raised environmental and historical concerns regarding the development.

“They had already cut 500 trees,” said COPTAC president Rachel Polistico, noting the original vision of Jesuit priest Fr. William Francis Masterson, SJ, who established XU’s agriculture program on the site.

Dr. Eduardo Montalvan, another COPTAC member, emphasized their opposition centers on “legal impediments.”

Engr. Lennie Ong, lead for XU’s “Campus of the Future” project, indicated through a Gold Star Daily correspondent that the university has not yet received formal notice of the probe.

“We will still have to get clearance from the university president to officially speak for the university,” Ong said.