Tent City dwellers have diverged paths

CEBU, Philippines - Operation of the Tent City at South Road Properties had officially ended, but some families are still here in Cebu City.

“Ang nahabilin didto gahapon (Sunday) ang kato rang mopabilin og Cebu unya adunay upat ka family nga nalangan ang biyahe sa barko tungod sa bagyo,” Ester Concha, head of Cebu City’s Department of Social Welfare and Services said.

Concha said these four families would go back to their homes in Eastern Visayas as soon as the weather becomes suitable for travel.

“Naa may ni-opt nga mopabilin diri; naa nay uban nga nagtrabaho. Ari na lang sila ug mo-rent sila og area on their own,” she said.

Among the 54 families that stayed in the said area, around 19 opted to stay in the city to work.

Last Sunday, during the official closing of the Tent City, 35 families were transported through the C-130 back to their homes in Eastern Visayas.

According to Concha, the four families left did not want to travel via C-130 and wished to go home by vessel.  

Concha made sure no one was left at the Tent City yesterday.

“Karong adlawa (yesterday) close na to ang Tent City. Ang mga tents didto have to be cleaned; they have to be dropped down kay limpyohanan man,” she said.

Earlier, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said that they could not extend the period for the typhoon victims to stay at the Tent City because the city has a lot of constituents who also need attention from the city government.

Lawyer Joy Pesquera, head of the Family Rebuilding Center, said earlier that the victims have undergone livelihood trainings, stress debriefing and anti-human trafficking and disaster preparedness seminars before going back to their respective hometowns.  (FREEMAN)