Bad weather "saves" houses from demolition

CEBU, Philippines - Some 31 families whose structures were built on the banks of the Tagunol River in Barangay Basak-Pardo were saved from being demolished by yesterday’s bad weather.

But the Squatters Prevention and Encroachment Elimination Division will still have to evict them once the weather gets better.

SPEED Chief Noel Artes said that they are only enforcing the same notice of demolition issued to these residents last year.

Artes said that these residents have had their previous dwellings demolished and were assisted in going back to their hometowns in the province, but they came back to rebuild their illegal structures.

Worse, they allegedly came back even after they already received assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Services.

Artes said that the illegal structures will be cleared as soon as the weather gets better but the city government can no longer promise them any assistance.

These families have been offered relocation in the city’s existing resettlement areas located in different barangays but they refused to avail of the offer.

There were originally 60 families living in the area when SPEED first implemented the notice of demolition.

Artes said that most of the people agreed to voluntarily dismantle their structures so SPEED had to clear only some.

It was only recently when SPEED found out that some illegal settlers have started occupying the area again.

With the bad weather and the series of floods that the city has been experiencing, Artes said the area is not safe for the informal settlers.

The city has been clearing the creeks and rivers of illegal structures to restore the three-meter easement zone mandated by the law. 

Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said that the developer of Monterrazas de Cebu in the south upland area must immediately construct a proper drainage system in the 200-hectare property because merely desilting the ponds is not enough to solve the flooding problem.

Rama said that the developer has not started yet giving compensation to those who have been affected and incurred losses due to the flooding two weeks ago in several sitios in the barangays of Guadalupe and Tisa.   - (THE FREEMAN)