CH seals off area along Gotiaoco Bldg

CEBU, Philippines - To prevent loss of lives if the structure or its parts will collapse, Cebu City Hall personnel yesterday hurriedly put up metal railings along the block of D. Jakosalem and M.C. Briones Streets to prevent the people from going to the sidewalk of the century-old Gotiaoco Building and its adjacent building which was previously gutted by fire.

Rama tasked City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete to immediately implement his order because the Office of the Building Official (OBO) had already declared that the old building is now considered weak and noticed some cracks on its concrete wall after the city experienced a 6.9 magnitude quake last week.

Some personnel of the Market Administrator’s Office were still transporting their things as of yesterday afternoon after the mayor ordered market administrator Raquel Arce to abandon her office at the second floor of the Gotiaoco building and allowed her to transfer to the second floor of the Taboan public market.

The city is renting the old building at P25,000 a month from the family of a Chinese-Filipino businessman whose lease contract with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will expire by next year. It was learned that once the contract will expire, the property will be turned over by the DENR to the custody of the city.

Aside from the Gotiaoco building, there are concrete structures adjacent to it which are occupied by traders of vegetables and other commodities as well as some people living in what was left of the building which was razed by fire several years ago.

Eduardo Largo, the acknowledged leader of more than 100 “kargadors (porters)” said the mayor should give them at least one week to vacate the place.

“Grabeha usab sa order sa mayor uy, karon man g’yud dayon niya mi papahawaon. Dili man madali pagkuha ang mga baligya nga anaa diha sa sulod, (The mayor’s order is too much. He wants us to vacate the place right away. Clearing the place of our merchandise is not that easy),” he added.

Although Largo admitted that it is very risky for them to stay in the area because of the possibility that the concrete remains of the building may collapse, but because of hardships they are compelled to work in the place.

Several cracks are visible in what was left of the building.

Largo even showed to reporters his leg which was hit by a fallen piece of wood last year. “Nabali na man kining akong bitiis. Nganong mahadlok man ko nga nakasuway na man ko og disgrasya. (My leg was even fractured. Why should I be scared when I already figured in an accident.)”

A woman occupying a space in that gutted structure said “Grabeha sa mayor uy, diritso-diritso man, labaw pa man sa tsunami (The mayor’s order is too much. It’s too sudden, even more than a tsunami.)”

But when interviewed by the reporters, the mayor explained that he is just doing his job to secure the lives of the people.

 “Kanus-a man kita molihok unya na kon nadat-ogan na sila? Bisan mga tawo nga anha moagi sa aseras dili na tugotan, (When will we act, when they are already trapped in the rubble? Even those who will just pass by the sidewalk will not be allowed.)” Rama said. (FREEMAN)