City to develop relocation site in Sinsin

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Government will relocate residents in landslide-prone areas of barangays Bonbon, Sudlon II, Sinsin and Buot to a city-owned property in Barangay Sinsin.

The Division Welfare of the Urban Poor is processing to avail of the Regional Resettlement Program of the National Housing Authority, which can extend a P12 million loan to the city government for the development  site of the 18,998-square-meter property in Barangay Sinsin.

The lot is one of the existing relocation sites of the city government that is not developed yet.

The DWUP wants to use the P12 million to make the area livable for about 220 families that can be accommodated in the site.  NHA has visited the area and assessed that it is suitable to be a relocation site.

Half of the P12 million available fund from the RRP will be given as a grant while the other half shall be paid to NHA.

NHA offered a non-interest bearing loan to be paid in the next six years.

Once the memorandum of agreement is signed and the loan is approved, there will be an automatic appropriation in the city’s annual budget in the next six years for the payment of the P6 million.

Councilor Alvin Dizon, during last week’s session, referred the matter to the council’s committee on budget and finance.  Mountain barangays in Cebu City are all identified as landslide-prone areas especially during rainy season, earthquake or typhoon.

The city government wants to relocate residents living in danger areas to safer grounds to prevent damage to properties and loss of lives.

The city’s relocation sites in Sinsin shall also be opened to those who are homeless in the urban areas.

Once the site is ready, DWUP will assess all qualified and eligible beneficiaries to be relocated there.

The RRP was originally applied by the DWUP for the Budlaan relocation site, but it did not pass because it already has existing developments. —MBG (FREEMAN)