By CESAR JOLITO III

The Central Philippines State University (CPSU) Moises Padilla Campus will remain in its current location after a payment for the disputed property has been settled.

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson confirmed that the provincial government has already paid the landowner, former Moises Padilla Mayor Frank Nazareno, for the two-hectare property currently occupied by CPSU.

The lot was previously covered by a deed of usufruct that expired in 2017.

Lacson explained that they had negotiated the payment with Nazareno, but it was delayed due to the prohibited period for releasing public funds during the May 2025 midterm elections.

“I am currently checking if the P25 million check for the full payment of the property has already been released,” Lacson said, adding that the move ensures the university will not lose its site.

Lacson stressed that with the payment completed, there is no more reason to worry about the future of CPSU’s Moises Padilla Campus, which serves as a vital education hub for students in the area.

The issue came to light after Moises Padilla Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo raised concerns that the landowner was reclaiming the property following the lapse of the usufruct agreement.

Garcia-Yulo earlier sought Lacson’s intervention to secure the land for CPSU.

Lacson has assured the mayor of the provincial government’s initial commitment to help mediate and explore possible legal and administrative remedies to ensure that educational services are not interrupted.

The CPSU-Moises Padilla Campus, located in Barangay 7, sits on a 4.4-hectare land area and currently serves over 1,000 students from the town and nearby localities./CJ, WDJ