Bizman blames fire victims' temporary shelter for losses

CEBU, Philippines - The operator of the New White Gold House Restaurant at the North Reclamation Area has complained that the temporary shelter for the fire victims in Carreta and Tejero has been affecting their business.

Alexander S. Gaisano, President and CEO of the New White Gold House, asked Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to immediately relocate the fire victims somewhere else from David Gaisano Street.

“The New White Gold House Restaurant is a tourist oriented Chinese Cuisine Restaurant that caters to foreign visitors and business conferences. Due to the presence of the homeless residents, the place has turned into a slum area. As a consequence, our restaurant business has suffered a lot,” Gaisano said in his letter.

Gaisano said the fire victims should be relocated somewhere else where customers of the restaurant will not have to worry for their security and will not be bothered by children asking for alms.

According to Gaisano, since the fire last August 17 his business has suffered from numerous cancellations of bookings or reservations for various types of occasions.

He said local customers also started to complain for lack of secured parking space.

“They cannot park their vehicles along the side of the restaurant where they used to park, for fear that their expensive vehicles will be vandalized by the children roaming the street. Even the security guards are unable to control the uneasy residents and their children begging for money on the streets, sowing fears and apprehension on our customers,” Gaisano said.

The fire victims occupy the entire stretch of the David Gaisano Street after they were displaced by the recent fire that affected over 200 families in Carreta and Tejero.

Gaisano said that should they close the business, the company will not be the only one to suffer but also the city government as it will lose earnings from taxes and the employees who will lose their jobs.

Rama said he has already written to the president of Robinsons who own an adjacent vacant lot where the city government can temporary relocate the fire victims.

Rama said he is thinking of putting the residents on the abandoned lot where the city will install lighting and water supply for at least a month.

The victims are not allowed to re-build their houses until the city is finished the re-blocking and the road restoration.

Rama said he has already ordered his people to immediately complete the re-blocking so the residents can start occupying the area.

He said he agrees that the residents have somehow disturbed the place and promised to resolve immediately.  (FREEMAN)