Families displaced by the March 18 fire in barangay Lorega-San Miguel in Cebu City can start rebuilding their burnt structures starting today.
Mayor Michael Rama said he would oversee the reconstruction himself to avoid further delay that would be a sign of “inefficiency” in government.
“After Holy Week, I don’t want to see that naa gihapon ta’y areglahon (we still have to take care of people)] in the evacuation sites,” he said.
Under a new “Balik Lugar” program that starts today until April 16, Holy Wednesday, about 1,500 households or over 5,000 persons will be allocated lots where they can reconstruct their homes.
Renters and home-sharers are not included in the program.
The fire site was reblocked so wider access roads could be built in the event of future emergencies.
Families have been staying in the old Sacred Heart School gym along General Maxilom Avenue and sports centers in the neighboring barangays of Zapatera, Day-as and T. Padilla.
The mayor said he wanted the evacuation centers cleared after the Holy Week break.
The city government will make necessary repairs to any damage incurred in the facilities, he said.
Rama met with personnel from the Department for the Welfare of the Urban Poor and the city engineering office to discuss the need to start rebuilding on site.
Markings were placed at the fire site to guide house owners where to re-build their homes.
The March 18 fire, the biggest to hit Metro Cebu this year, covered seven sitios of the barangay, displacing over 7,000 individuals.
Lorega fire victims were not allowed to immediately rebuild because of the city’s plans to reblock the area.
Firefighters had a hard time penetrating the urban village because of narrow alleys.
It took firefighters over 10 hours to put out the blaze.
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