City eyes UP talks

On fate of fire victims

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña supports the plan of the University of the Philippines to lease its property to residents of Kamputhaw who survived a fire last December 5, but advised that consultation should be made among affected stakeholders.

The UP property is where the survivors’ houses used to stand.

“It’s a step towards security of tenure,” Osmeña told The FREEMAN.

UP Cebu Chancellor Liza Corro said she has yet to receive a formal communication from the city government.

She said that under its Charter, UP is prohibited from selling its properties.

At least 194 families were left homeless after the huge fire in Upper Purok 3 in Barangay Kamputhaw.

Betty Raboy who has lived in the area for 66 years is willing to pay rent to UP but another survivor, Esmeralda Maca-ayong, who has lived in the area for 25 years said she will agree to pay if she will eventually get to own the property.

“Kung temporary ra among pag-abang, kung papahawaon mi, asa man sad mi paingon?" she contended.

Genevieve Alcoseba, the operations chief of the city’s Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor, said they will send a formal communication to UP this week.

She said she has met with survivors last Monday and informed them that they can rebuild their houses but should use only light materials while no agreement between the city and UP has been reached just yet.

“Naay statement nga for leasing ug mag-agad gyud ta nila kay open ta makig-istorya as courtesy sa owner sa luna (There is statement that the property would be leased out but we will wait for them and we are open to talking to the owner of the property),” she said.

As this happens, DWUP and the City Department of Engineering and Public Works, started marking the property for a re-blocking scheme.

“We can do re-blocking gyud. Nag-start na og markings from the main road. Amo pod ning i-present sa UP. UP, as an academe, will be humanitarian enough especially sa mga nasunogan nato dinha (We can re-block. We have started marking the main road. We will present the re-blocking plan to UP. UP, as an academic institution, will be humanitarian enough, especially to those affected by the fire),”

Alcoseba said. – With Isabella G. Obor (FREEMAN)