CEBU, Philippines - Representative Lorenzo Tañada Jr of the 3rd district of Quezon province has pledged P300,000 in financial aid to beneficiaries of the 6.5-hectare relocation site in barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City.
Tañada, who is in Cebu as guest speaker in a students’ forum of the University of Cebu on the Freedom of Information bill, told reporters yesterday said that he assured the Mandaue City Government of the assistance which will be used for the electricity and water connection of the urban poor dwellers.
Tañada is one of the proponents of the Freedom of Information Bill.
He disclosed that it was the city that sought his help on the matter.
Meanwhile, development at the relocation site is hampered due to road right-of-way problems.
Socialized housing consultant and lawyer Francisco Amit said the City was supposed to construct a road leading to the relocation site but they could not do so because the government lot which they are supposed to convert into a road has occupants.
He said that these persons could no longer avail of financial assistance from the City when they move out because they already received financial aid from the Department of Public Works and Highways when the Cansaga bridge was constructed.
Amit said there are some occupants who said that they will only move out if a city public official, a department head, will be the first one to move out of the area. But the said city official is hesitant to leave the place and this contributed to the problem of letting these settlers vacate from the government lot.
Moreover, City Legal Officer Gioivanni Tianero said that the city will still accord them with due process and will continue to send them notices to vacate.
At present, there are 33 houses at the new relocation site. Nineteen of them already lived in the place even before the City bought it from owner Dennis Lua while the 14 are beneficiaries of a relocation project. (FREEMAN)