Some Lorega residents oppose housing project

CEBU, Philippines - Some people living inside the Lorega San Miguel Cemetery have expressed opposition against the housing project that will soon rise in the area.

The opposing group fears that once the construction of the three-storey building with 60-unit capacity starts next year, they will be demolished and will be thrown out nowhere.

Councilor Alvin Dizon, chairman of the council’s Committee on Housing, together with Gawad Kalinga and Action for Nurturing Children and Environment (ANCE), met with the opposing party last Tuesday to hear their concerns.

“We found out nga residente diay to sila didto but they are not beneficiaries because they are not members of the UCSRA (United Cemetery Side Residence Association Inc.). UCSRA is the legitimate partner of the city government in this project,” Dizon said.

UCSRA signed a memorandum of agreement with the city government, GK, ANCE and former congressman Raul del Mar for the socialized housing project that will initially cover 9,000 square meters of the two-hectare Lorega San Miguel Cemetery.

Under the MOA, the beneficiaries will come from the members of the UCSRA who will be identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Some P10 million of the P13 million fund needed for the project comes from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of del Mar while the rest is from ANCE.

GK will supervise the construction and later the maintenance of the site while the city government will take charge of the site development which will include the drainage system and other facilities that need to be installed.

“Nahadlok lang sila because they live in the cemetery. Hadlok sila na tingali kung ma-develop na ang cemetery, maapil sila og demolish. But I told them nga dugay pa man na. We can actually accommodate them sa Lorega housing project as long as magpa-member sila sa USCRA,” Dizon said.

Instead of a housing building, the residents proposed a home lot for everyone which Dizon said is not feasible since two hectares will not be able to accommodate everyone. There are around 400 families who built their houses inside the cemetery or over 2,000 individuals.

Dizon said that the residents were just influenced by a militant group the reason why an opposition was organized.

“So ako silang giingnan nga dili lang ta magpa-distract ato nga mga group. Kabalo man ta sa background sa organization. Anyway, tanan nilang complaints i-accommodate. Para nako legitimate man sad ilang complaints,” he said.

“Ang ato gud vision diha is after this first building, duna ta’y tukoron nga additional structures para ma-accommodate ang others,” he added.

The cemetery has been closed for burial since July this year after the resolution passed in the council to close it since it is no longer compliant with the provisions of the sanitation code.

Engr. Danilo Gabiana said that Lorega is not a legally operating cemetery because there is no parish handling it.

“Di man g’yud na s’ya cemetery diha. Kung naa pa, naa unta’y parokya nga nag-handle ana,” Gabiana said. (FREEMAN)