Overcrowded evacuation center alarms Archival

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival admitted that the evacuation site for families displaced by the recent fire in Barangay Tejero has become dangerously overcrowded, prompting the city government to look for alternative locations to decongest the area and prevent possible health risks.

“Karon naguol gyud ko kay because sa 200 families nga naa didto… duha na ka gymnasium, karon, naa tanan sa Tejero gym,” Archival said yesterday.

The mayor said the city is now searching for a new shelter site while also ordering an investigation into fences surrounding the fire scene that reportedly obstructed firefighters during the blaze.

Archival, who personally visited the area, said at least 247 families were affected by the May 16 fire that destroyed 120 houses and damaged 14 others.

“Nakita sad nako nga lisod kaayo pagpawng ang kayo because some of the areas especially naa sa atubangan nga daan gikural. There were four portions of the main street nga gikural. So the moment imo nang gikural, dili kaagi ang mga bumbero. Naa gani tay bumbero nga naigo gyud sa lansang sa kural,” he added.

The mayor directed the City Legal Office and the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor to investigate who erected the barriers, stressing that some of the fences appeared to encroach on government property.

“The fence is actually naa gyud sa gutter. Ang gutter ato biya na, sa gobyerno na,” Archival said.

He also instructed the City Assessor’s Office to verify land ownership following reports that portions of the area may have been purchased and fenced off by private entities.

Archival said that if the property is privately owned, owners must still provide a right-of-way for residents and emergency responders. If the land is government-owned, he said the city may consider constructing a medium-rise building to serve as a permanent relocation site for fire victims.

To address the immediate needs of displaced residents, Archival said he would seek a declaration of a state of calamity to allow the release of disaster funds.

While the Department of Social Welfare and Services has already distributed hot meals and relief packs, the mayor admitted that cramped conditions remain a major concern.

“The biggest problem is still that the place is too cramped, the spaces are too small, and it is very hot,” he said.

Archival added that the city is negotiating to use a vacant building across the Tejero barangay hall and is also considering establishing a tent city to help spread out evacuees.

“Right now there are still tents, but that too is cramped. It is really difficult for the people there,” he said.

The Tejero fire was the third major blaze to hit the barangay this year, highlighting the vulnerability of densely populated communities where houses made of light materials have repeatedly fueled fast-spreading fires. — FPL CEBU NEWS