CEBU: The city government will recover city-owned properties to boost infrastructure development and build housing units for homeless Cebuanos, the acting mayor said on Tuesday. Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said Task Force Pabahay (Housing) will reclaim lands owned by the city that are meant to be roads but are occupied by shanties or open spaces turned into parking spaces. 'Yes, I am forming a task force that will safeguard the properties of the city government and at the same time, make sure that these properties are transferred to the name of the City of Cebu,' Garcia told the Philippine News Agency. Garcia said the local government needs to identify its properties that have not yet been transferred under its name. He argued that the government cannot undertake improvements, such as road widening, if the titles have not been transferred to the city's name as these would still be considered private lands. The task force will comprise the Department of General Services, which is responsible for all documents; City Assessor's Office, which holds the tax declarations of the city's properties; and city engineers, who will conduct surveys. Councilor Jerry Guardo noted that city roads have become narrower and more congested, contributing to severe traffic due to illegal occupants along roadsides. Guardo said the task force may utilize city-owned lands to construct buildings for homeless families living on the streets. Source: Trend News Agency