CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Northern Mindanao (DENR-10) and the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) have ordered Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan and Cebu Landmasters Inc. to explain the ongoing commercial development of the Manresa Campus in Uptown Cagayan de Oro amid a possible reversion case.
In an order dated May 11, 2026, signed by CENRO Officer Jerome G. Pioquinto and addressed to Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI), the two parties were given 15 days from receipt of notice to submit a written explanation, comment, and supporting documents justifying the legality of converting portions of the Manresa property into a commercial and residential development.
CENRO, after reviewing records and relevant laws, said the Manresa property covered by Original Certificate of Title No. 126 and its derivative Transfer Certificates of Title may have originated from a government grant subject to conditions and restrictions under existing laws.
The agency also directed XU and CLI to identify any law authorizing the commercial use and development of the property.
The order stemmed from a petition filed before the DENR by lawyer Ralph Metrillo, who sought the confiscation and forfeiture of the Manresa property for alleged violation of Section 70 of the Public Land Act, which prohibits government-granted lands from being used for commercial or non-educational purposes.
During an earlier press conference, Metrillo said the DENR Central Office, through Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs Norlito A. Eneran, instructed DENR-10 to investigate the matter and prepare for possible reversion proceedings involving the property.
“This is a significant development and a step closer toward enforcing the legal restrictions attached to the property,” Metrillo said in a statement sent to this paper.
He added that CENRO’s order supports their position that the Manresa property is a government grant burdened with “stringent limitations,” raising questions on whether the ongoing sale of condominium units and commercial spaces complies with the law.
Metrillo also urged the public, particularly investors, to closely monitor developments surrounding the project and the government’s investigation.
DENR-10 and CENRO have yet to issue further statements pending the response of XU and CLI.
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Meanwhile, in a joint statement posted May 13 on the Facebook page of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, XU and CLI asserted the “absolute legal certainty” of their partnership project.
The statement said the modernization of Jesuit education in Mindanao “will not be delayed by external noise or legally untenable claims.” It added that XU has held absolute title over the property for nearly 70 years and that all administrative restrictions had expired in 1968 under the Torrens system.
XU and CLI also maintained that the development is institutional and visionary in nature.
“We are moving forward with the construction of a legacy. The Manresa campus will be built. The future of Xavier University–Ateneo de Cagayan and Cagayan de Oro is non-negotiable,” the statement read.
