471 fire victims to get home lot

CEBU, Philippines - Each of the 471 structure owners who were victims of the fire that hit Barangay Duljo Fatima, Cebu City last week will get a 32 square meter lot as soon as the Cebu City government will start re-blocking the fire-stricken area.

The size of the lot was agreed during a consultative meeting among the sitio leaders and the officials of the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor and the Department of Engineering and Public Works.

“Of course gikan kag dakong lot area unya mogamay ka moangal gyud ka. Pero kung ikaw long term imo paghuna-huna. Maamong ka kung walay kalsada. Normal ra na nga reaksyon. Nga dili dayun mosugot. Gawas sa natagam ug nahadlok,” said DWUP head Geneveive Alcoseba.

Alcoseba, however, said that she has yet to meet all the fire victims to discuss the plan of the city government.

She said the DEPW has also come up with a proposal to cluster the home structures in the area. Alcoseba said that four home lot owners will be assigned in an area. Each of the four lot owners will be asked to give up half meter as access.

“Naay proposal nga i-cluster of four siya. Kung naay 32 square meters i-give up nimo ang half meter para himoong kalsada para naa moy distance matag isa. Para magdistansiya mo. I-apply nato sa tanan blocks especially sa burned area. So kadtong 32 square meters final lot allocation standard pero mahimong thirty one point five,” she said.

Alcoseba said these lot owners can establish their own fire wall in between of their houses.

She said that they also have the discretion to have three-storey houses as long as the ground floor will have a parking space to avoid residents from parking their vehicles along the roads.

“With this design ang imo i-sacrifice is distance lang. Then I think ang kinabuhi nila sa urban poor mo-matter gyud. Naay difference kay puros naman sila mag atubang og kalsada. Puro na sila mag face og alley,” she said.

Alcoseba said the city government will also establish at least 12 access roads with 6.5-meter wide. She said the city government will separately meet with the private owners of the affected area to discuss the city’s plan.

She said the city government may compensate them if their private lots will be affected in the establishment of the roads. One of the private owners of the affected area was the late suspected drug lord Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz.

“Mopahak siya sa property ni Jaguar kay wala man siya nasunog,” Alcoseba said.

“We’re always willing to talk and negotiate with them and dialogue with the owners. After which ma appreciate nila ang kaayuhan sa reblocking sa ila lugar,” she added. (FREEMAN)