Mandaue welcomes Red Cross houses

CEBU, Philippines - To expedite the process of providing new shelter to fire victims, the Mandaue City government welcomed the idea of letting the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) construct the houses.

“It is needed. It will have to happen,” said City Administrator James Abadia.

 The Commission on Elections Resolution 3479 (Rules and Regulations governing public works ban and release of public funds pursuant to the Omnibus Election Code) states that “Should a calamity or disaster occur, all releases normally or usually coursed through the said departments and offices of other departments shall be turned over to, and administered and disbursed by, the Philippine National Red Cross, subject to the supervision of the Commission on Audit or its representative…”

 Abadia admitted that while they have the money, the release will be covered by the election ban, hence, they will have to course through with PRC, which has offered to build the houses for the more than 2,300 families displaced by last May 12’s fire in Barangays Mantuyong and Guizo.

 The city administrator said, however, that the 24-square-meter requirement for each house that PRC needs is the 19,000 square meters they have in Mantuyong and Guizo will not accommodate all 2,348 families. He said he is afraid only 800 of them can avail of the slots.

 He explained that reblocking will take place even if it means not accommodating all displaced families, as the city will not allow the families to return without the proper access roads, otherwise it will result to another large fire.

 He said the three fire incidents in the area in 1997, 2007 and 2016 should have already been a lesson to them.

 “If we do the same thing over and over again, and expect the same results, that’s called insanity,” he said.

 He said the site development will take four months, and within the period, they will build the houses simultaneously. He said another alternative is to build high-rise buildings to accommodate all families, if not, the other families will have to be relocated in other areas.

 Abadia admitted that not all families have agreed to the reblocknig, that certain individuals have accused their Housing Urban and Development Office (HUDO) of usurpation of authority and other allegations before the Office of the Ombudsman, but these people are reportedly just a portion of the more than 10,000 affected by the fire.

 He said they are “regularly” consulting the victims with regard to the reblocking plans, and several of them have agreed to stay at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) while the site is still being developed.

 Meanwhile, Abadia denied that the city is politicizing the situation by giving dole outs to the victims, considering that Mayor Jonas Cortes is running for congressman and is supporting the Liberal Party slate led by Sixth District Luigi Quisumbing.

 He said they are almost done with giving relief assistance to the victims, and that they are on the process of making their lives “more sustainable” while at their respective camps.

 He said they might have spent over P1 million for food for the first three days, but most of the help the past days were from private groups and individuals.

 As of yesterday, more families were building shanties around the CICC grounds, one family had even erected a small variety store. Abadia said all these they will “control” as there are guidelines that the city has set for all people to follow inside the evacuation site. — (FREEMAN)