Settlers get new home in Binaliw

CEBU, Philippines - After several years of dwelling on someone else’s property, at least 200 families from Barangays Banawa and Talamban will now get the chance to own a lot in the mountain barangay of Binaliw.

Eighty families come from sitio Kana-as, Barangay Banawa while 120 others come from sitio Ilaya, Barangay Talamban.

Yesterday, Patrick Amancia, owner of the 9,712 square-meter property in Binaliw, signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Edwin delos Santos, president of the Kana-as Banawa Homeowners Association, as well as the lot owners themselves. 

The agreement allows the families to buy lots on an installment scheme. Each family is entitled to a 32-square-meter lot, which is payable at P630 per month in 96 months.

The event was personally witnessed by Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña who assured cash assistance of P10,000 to the victims of the Kana-as demolition to help them begin construction of their new houses.

Former Cebu City North District Rep. Raul del Mar and Councilor Alvin Dizon, chairman of the City Council Committee on Housing, also witnessed the signing. 

Dizon also assured urban poor families that the Council will allocate a budget to develop the new location next year. Delos Santos said some parts of the area need to be flattened to accommodate residents better.

The new location in Binaliw might be quite far – located 14 kilometers away from the city proper – but Delos Santos said he personally considers the area a “good location” because it means they are far from floods.

“Layo na mi sa lunop,” he said.

The settlers from Kana-as who used to occupy a 1,300 private property were victims of the fire that hit in 2008 and 2010. In April 11 this year, their houses were finally demolished. Because they had nowhere else to go, they built makeshift houses still within the property.

“Pasalamat mi nga bisa’g magpayag-payag lang sa mi, di na mi pahawaon. Di na pud mi mahadlok mabasa sa uwan,” said delos Santos, who had been living in the area for 29 years. (FREEMAN)