NEGOTIATIONS on the 93-1 land swap deal between Cebu City and Cebu Province have met another delay after the appraisal committee from both local government units (LGUs) did not agree with the value of the involved properties.Cebu City Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia said on Monday, April 25, 2022, that he plans to meet with Gov. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia again to resolve the differences between the two LGUs.According to Councilor Garcia, the assessors from the Cebu Provincial Government appraised the properties using the commercial value despite it being used as a residential area.As a result, the Capitol-hired assessors’ land valuation was way more expensive compared to the valuation coming from City Hall’s assessors, he added.The councilor used a property in Barangay Barrio Luz as an example wherein interior portions of the lot were already occupied by residents but the provincial government used a valuation based on its commercial price.“So you cannot use the same commercial value. What you should use is the residential value. There is a big difference,” he said in a mix of English and Cebuano.He added that the City is not planning to sell the land for commercial purposes but it will be awarded to the families living in the area.The councilor said both LGUs will try to reach a consensus so that the land swap deal can take another step forward.The valuation of the lot is a requirement of the Commission of Audit before both parties can ink the memorandum of agreement for the deal, Councilor Garcia said.In 2018, former mayor Tomas Osmeña and former governor Hilario “Junjun” Davide III signed the land swap deal but it was later declared as void after state auditors found out that the two LGUs had not complied with the requirements set by COA.With this latest development, Garcia said that it is possible that the signing of the MOA will take place after the election on May 9.