AN estimated 1,000 individuals or 300 families in Sitio Bantayan sa Hari in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City, whose houses were scheduled for demolition on June 2, could heave a sigh of relief after the Mandaue City government assured that there would be no demolition of houses in the area within the year.
Lawyer Elaine Bathan, Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing’s chief of staff, gave the assurance on Wednesday after meeting with 150 residents of Sitio Bantayan sa Hari, who held a silent protest outside City Hall on the scheduled demolition of their houses.
Marvin de Motor, one of the affected residents told CDN, that they were willing to leave the area but they asked they be given a relocation site in Mandaue City where their work and livelihood were.
The affected residents were already given three notices to vacate the area with the last notice having a June 2 schedule to demolish their houses.
Bathan said that the previous administration planned to clear the area under the first Mandaue-Mactan bridge and those surrounding the Bantayan sa Hari structure.
She said that some houses were in the danger zone while others were affected by national and local projects to be implemented there.