Lapu-Lapu starts inventory of illegal structures, prepares for demolition

THE Lapu-Lapu City government is starting to get an inventory of all illegal structures built in the easement zone of the city’s coastal shorelines, which have also been identified as partly the source of pollution in the city’s coastal seawaters.

After this, the clearing operations will follow.

Lawyer Ethelbert Ouano, legal officer of the City Attorney’s Office, said that Mayor Paz Radaza met with all department heads on Monday to plan the clearing operations that the city would implement once all illegal structures would be identified.

“Though Mayor Paz Radaza has already issued standing orders in the past, on demolition against illegal structures that were already situated in the seawaters of Mactan, but those were issued in order to avoid calamity due to typhoon and storm surge. But this time, the orders would be related to pollution,” Ouano said.

Earlier, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-7) had found out that fecal coliform contamination in the seawater of Mactan has slightly exceeded the standard that was set by the agency.

Fecal coliform level in the seawaters of Mactan has reached 180-250 Most Probable Number (MPN) per 100 milliliter, slightly higher than the standard 100 MPN.

Ouano said that they have yet to determine in the inventory the number of families and structures that will be affected in the clearing operation.

“We do not have yet that data, that’s why we are coordinating with the Urban Poor and the affected barangays,” he added.

Among the barangays that would be affected in the clearing operation include Poblacion, Pajo, Pusok, Ibo, Buaya, Mactan and Punta Engaño.

Aside from these, they will also identify the number of families that would qualify in the distribution of financial assistance, especially that most of these families were only renters.

“I guess these families were already aware about this plan. We are just determining who are qualified in the financial assistance so that they can say that the city has not neglected them. We will only give financial assistance, no relocation site,” he said.

He also said that they were also identifying owners of piggeries operating in slum areas near the sea and to advise them to stop their operation because their waste were found out to go directly to the sea.