RIGHT OF WAY. Staff of the Special Enforcement Unit of the Dumaguete City government remove barriers set up by the former Cittadini-St. Louis School, which the city already acquired, on Monday (June 24, 2024). The adjacent St. Louis School-Don Bosco is claiming ownership of the property and refuses to grant road access. (Photo courtesy of Juancho Gallarde)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The local government here would take legal action against the management of St. Louis School (SLS)-Don Bosco should it insist on blocking road access.
This city’s Special Enforcement Unit, supervised by city administrator Lilani Ramon, took down barriers and signs at the entrance, exit, and parking area of the SLS-Don Bon Bosco in Barangay Calindagan on Monday morning.
Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo gave SLS-Don Bosco 24 hours, through a letter on Friday, to remove the barriers and allow access to the former Catherina Cittadini-St. Louis School (CC-SLS), now the site of the City Central Elementary School and the Calindagan Elementary School.
“The City Legal Office has found that the property in question is a road lot annotated in the land title and donated by Don Bosco, thus this cannot be alienated,” Ramon said.
She added that the property is registered with the Registry of Deeds as a road lot.
The city government acquired the property for PHP120 million and turned it over to the Department of Education (DepEd) on May 29.
Remollo said the barriers affect DepEd faculty and staff who are in the thick of transferring to the new site for the July 29 opening of Academic Year 2024-2025.
Officials of SLS-Don Bosco refused to be interviewed and said their lawyers would handle the issue.
After 33 years, Cittadini ceased operations last year, citing low enrollees that led to financial difficulties.
Dumaguete bought the CC-SLS from the Ursuline Sisters of Somasca, the congregation running the school. (PNA)
