CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/23 June 2026)—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Northern Mindanao (DENR-10) has affirmed Xavier University’s legal right to develop its 64-hectare Manresa property in Upper Carmen into a multi-billion-peso campus and commercial district. The ruling, signed by DENR-10 Regional Executive Director Ronald Gadot on 23 June, resolves ownership disputes and allows development by Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI). The ₱20 billion project, a partnership between CLI and Xavier University, aims to create a “campus of the future” featuring residential and commercial spaces. A group named Concerned Parents, Teachers, Alumni & Communities (COPTAC) opposed the development, claiming Xavier University cannot sell the land due to the Philippine Torrens System, as it was donated by the government in 1936. However, DENR-10 dismissed COPTAC’s petition, stating it lacked legal basis. Gadot emphasized, “This office finds no cogent grounds to revert or initiate a cancellation of the original title of land awarded to Xavier University.” COPTAC’s legal counsel, Ralph Metrillo, has yet to comment on the ruling. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)
