Cebu City North District Congressman Raul Del Mar distribute food supplies to Amy Andrino one of the fire victims in Barangay Ermita, with him is Mark Rizalde Miral, Ermita Barangay Captain and Amor Peliño BMO Head. / CDN photo/ Lito Tecson
A NEW start awaits the 759 families whose homes were razed by the fire that hit Sitios Kawit and Ermita Proper in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City on May 7.
Ermita Barangay Captain Mark Miral said he is expecting a survey team from the Cebu City Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) on Tuesday to conduct an area visit and plot the houses that need to set back to pave the way for wider pathways.
Miral said that after the DWUP team will be able to make their final plotting, the displaced residents may immediately proceed to reconstruct their houses.
About two days after the survey, Miral said the DWUP team promised to return with the lot division plan, to include which houses will need to comply with the road setback requirement.
To recall, DWUP operations Chief Genevieve Alcoseba recommended for a half-meter setback or adjustment of the houses that are close to the roads to ensure that there will be enough space for responders to penetrate the area in case another fire or any calamity will arise.
According to Miral, most of the residents who are likely to be affected by the road setback have agreed to give up portions of their lots to make way for a wider road.
Most of the lots in the fire site are titled properties, said Miral, and he was thankful that the fire victims agreed to road setback regulations, which are provided under the National Building Code of the Philippines.
Miral also warned the fire victims that they might not be allowed to reconstruct their homes if they defy the recommendations of the DWUP team.
“Kung ilista sila sa surveyor nga kinahanglan mo-setback, kung dili sila mo-setback, naay tendency nga dili sila patukoron og balik ug dili sila mahatagan og financial assistance gikan sa city,” said Miral. (If the surveyor will include them in the list that need to comply with the setback requirement but they will refuse to do so, there is a danger that they cannot reconstruct their homes and that they will not receive any financial assistance from the city government.)
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña earlier said that the city government will provide a P20,000 financial assistance to each affected family.
Relief goods for the victims
On Sunday, the families received another set of relief items from Pilipinong May Puso Foundation of the Philanthropist Wen Velasco through the office of Cebu City North District Rep. Raul Del Mar.
Each family received a bag containing food supplies.
In an interview with Cebu Daily News, Del Mar said he is coordinating with other agencies to continue gathering assistance for the fire victims of Ermita.
Most of the displaced families are currently given shelter at the Ermita Sports Complex and Ermita Elementary School.
As the Brigada Eskwela kicks off today, May 28, Miral said that those who were staying at the school have began moving back to their old spaces at the fire site.
“Atong gi advisan katong mga naa sa eskwelahan nga mag-tent na lang sa for the meantime. Once maka-survey na ang City Hall, automatically, makatukod na man sila. Wala na man tay problema ana,” said Miral. (We advised those who were housed at the school that they should put up tents in the meantime. Once the City Hall has completed its survey, automatically, they can begin to rebuild. There will no longer be any problem with that.)