Beneficiaries complain vs non-residents

CEBU, Philippines - Informal settlers occupying the former Lorega-San Miguel Municipal Cemetery are asking why there were three beneficiaries included in the 60 initial beneficiaries of the medium-rise housing project being constructed who are not residents of Lorega.

According to them, this is in defiance of an earlier agreement that members of the United Cemetery Side Residence Association Inc. (UCSRA) will be prioritized in the project since they are the ones who requested for it and they are directly affected.

Residents who aired their complaint, who requested not to be named, said the three beneficiaries are from barangay Carreta who are allegedly helped by the Action for Nurturing Children and Environment (ANCE) to be among the first 60 beneficiaries to own a unit at the three-storey condominium.

Lorega Captain Fritzgerald Herrera said he has no idea that there are non-Lorega residents among the first 60 beneficiaries, but granting there are, he said it should not be a problem.

He said they have to understand that there are other groups like ANCE who contributed in the implementation of the project and might have wished that their people would also benefit from the housing program.

ANCE contributed P3 million for the project. The rest or P10 million is from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of former congressman Raul del Mar while the Cebu City Government spent for the site development.

“Anyway, three units ra ang mawala sa ilaha (UCSRA), ato na lang i-consider as a compromise,” he said.

Councilor Alvin Dizon, chairman of the committee on housing, said in a text message to The FREEMAN that he has no update on the selection of beneficiaries.

“Taga Gawad Kalinga ang in-charge ana,” Dizon said.

Gawad Kalinga volunteered to undertake the construction of the project, which is expected to be completed before the year ends.

The pilot building will consist of three floors which will house 20 units each.

If funds are available, more buildings of the same model will be constructed in the same area to accommodate all families living as informal settlers in the cemetery.

Residents want to clarify with the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor if their promise that the housing project in the cemetery will prioritize them still holds true.

But DWUP Chief Collin Rossell was not available for interview yesterday. – (FREEMAN)