Monday,
May 14, 2012
CEBU
CITY – About P51.6 million worth of property was lost last Friday in Barangay
Luz, in the most destructive fire to hit Cebu City so far this year.
Mayor
Michael Rama has proposed to reblock the area to make it easier for
firefighters to reach, but the survivors opposed this, saying they don’t want
to lose a portion of their titled lots.
“As a
compromise, widening of the existing roads could be the best option,” said Rian
Tante, the barangay’s chief.
The
affected homeowners met Sunday, he said, and they agreed to say no to the
proposal.
“It’s a
sensitive issue because my constituents bought these lots using their
hard-earned money,” the barangay captain added.
“There
should be proper consultation before the reblocking is implemented,” Cebu City
Councilor Alvin Dizon said in a separate interview.
At least 565 families or 2,203 individuals were displaced in the mid-afternoon inferno that
spread to four sitios and gutted 290 houses.
According
to a consolidated report from the City’s Department of Social Welfare and
Services (DSWS), Sitio Sto. Niño 1 suffered the most, losing P16.8 million
worth of property.
More
residents from sitios Lubi, Nangka, and Mabuhay also stand to lose their homes
if a court’s demolition order is enforced this week, as scheduled.
Transfer
All the
barangay can do is to ensure peace during the demolition and transfer of the
belongings of about 70 families, Tante said.
Last
year, Judge Ramon Daomilas put off the demolition of about 30 houses for six
months to give the Cebu City Government time to find a relocation site for the
families.
It moved
the demolition to January, and then again to May. This time, it said no
extensions will be granted.
The
families had lost a case they filed in 1994 against three homeowners’
associations and the Cebu Provincial Government against the community mortgage
program (CMP).
The
barangay is looking for almost P400,000 in calamity funds, a portion of their
quick response budget, that will be released if the Cebu City Council grants
it.
Michael
Guerra, barangay councilman, told Sun.Star Cebu they have P201,000 left from
last year’s calamity funds and P194,000 for this year.
The
money could pay for housing materials for the fire survivors.
Housing
materials will also reportedly be distributed next week through the assistance
of Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district).
Ownership
Inside
Barangay Luz Elementary School, which served as a temporary shelter for the
displaced families, some residents revealed their basic needs were being met.
The
reblocking proposal, however, caused worry.
“Siya
diay tag-iya sa yuta? Kami man (The mayor doesn’t own this land. We do),” said
Arcenia Pantilaga, 46.
She said
the 87 square meters of land was the only thing she and her six other siblings
inherited from their parents.
“Kung
pila’y sukod sa ilang napalit, mao’y dapat sundon (We should keep what they
paid for),” Pantilaga said.
Councilor
Dizon, who chairs the City Council’s committee on housing, said that the
displaced families should be consulted properly on the matter, as well as
barangay officials.
“I hope
the mayor will not arbitrarily implement reblocking plans without adequate
consultation with the affected families and the barangay officials,” the
councilor said.
Narrow
roads made it difficult for firefighters to stop the flames. The roads in Luz
have narrowed in recent years because of the encroachment of several illegal
structures.
The
City’s Department of Engineering and Public Works and the Management
Information Computer Services have been tasked by Rama to be on top of the
reblocking.
Today,
some residents in Luz who was displaced by Friday’s fire will hold a press
conference to air their sentiments on Rama’s plan to reblock the site. (DSM/PDF of Sun.Star Cebu)
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