Lorega lot flattening, clearing almost done

CEBU, Philippines - Fire victims in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel, who are temporarily housed in different evacuation centers, can now go back in the fire-stricken lot by next week.

Lawyer Jose Marie Poblete, who heads the City Department of Engineering and Public Works, said they were already done with clearing and flattening of majority of the lot, the first phase of the city’s reblocking program in the area.

The transferring will be done by phase though, so the first batch of families who can transfer next week are those temporarily staying at the Sacred Heart School Gym.

Poblete said the gym houses most number of families affected by the March 18 fire in at least eight sitios that razed over 500 houses and affected over 7,000 people.

The DEPW head said they would have finished clearing the area earlier if not for the number of human bones “accidentally” exhumed at the old Lorega-San Miguel cemetery in Sitio Kamansi.

“Wala man ta kahibaw na naa pa g’yud diay mga gipanglubong sa ilawom g’yud sa mga nitso,” said Poblete.

He said they also dug out the bones and placed them in a temporary bone chamber in Lorega along with those earlier exhumed.

A total of 700 grave sites, almost 200 houses and an estimated 300 families living near the old cemetery were affected by the fire, according to the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor.

The city government has given those who have relatives buried at the cemetery until March 30 to retrieve the bones of their departed loved ones to pave the way for the reblocking.

Based on the records of the Department of Social Welfare and Services, a total of 712 households can be given home lots by the city government, said Poblete.

The DEPW head has tapped DSWS to release the housing materials next week so families can start rebuild.

In connection with this, the city government will now push through with its plan to construct a medium-rise building at a portion of the cemetery, which will also cater to fire victims.

DWUP chief lawyer Collin Rossell said they are just waiting for the go signal from the National Housing Authority for the start of the project, which was slated to start in November 2014.

The project will be funded by the P78-million Poverty Alleviation Fund of NHA, said Rossell.

If realized, the two four-storey buildings that will rise on a 2000-square meter lot will each accommodate 86 families or a total of 172 urban poor settlers.  (FREEMAN)