55 houses in Suba, Pasil face demolition

At least 55 houses made of light materials that illegally occupy beside the concrete seawall of barangay Suba and Pasil are scheduled to be demolished by the City Hall demolition team tomorrow morning.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña already gave go signal to the members of the Squatters Prevention Encroachment Elimination Division to destroy the illegal structures if their owners continue to ignore the demolition order.

Demolition team leader Vicente Mercado said the concerned residents were given until last June 1 to pack their belongings and voluntarily remove their structures otherwise these will be demolished.

“Mga gahi g’yod og ulo. Aw kay dili man sila mopatoo, kami na ang mangguba sa ilang kabalayan karong Miyerkules.  Wala mi’y mahimo kay igo ra kami nga motuman sa order sa mayor,” Mercado said.

The concerned families are hesitant to destroy their shanties that they have constructed beside the seawall because there was no assurance from the city that they will be provided with relocation sites.

These illegal structures that are constructed within the three-meter radius from the seawall that is prohibited from any construction can be clearly viewed from the viaduct of the South Road Properties.

Some persons who passed by the viaduct of the SRP coastal road yesterday aired concerns to the squatters, but said: “Malooy baya unta ta nila pero pagtukod nila’g balay diha, nasayod na man sab sila nga dili sila molungtad.”

These families —some of them Badjaos — had been ordered already by the city to vacate from the place, but they just ignored it.

Aside from these illegal structures, Mercado’s team had been tasked also to destroy the other illegal structure located in that place owned by barangay councilman Leon Dakay.

“Wala g’yod kita’y mahimo kon dunay order. Gisweldohan ra man ta aron motuman sa order sa mayor,” Mercado said.

The problem about the congestion of the three-meter radius from the riverbanks and seawalls has been discussed for many times by the members of the Coastal Management Board who decided to remove these illegal structures.  — Rene U. Borromeo/BRP