A Barangay San Roque resident tries to recover items that he would still use from his burnt home in Sitio Pantig. | Gerard Vincent Francisco
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has ordered for a reblocking of the fire site in Sitio Panting in Barangay San Roque to especially restore the three-meter easement.
Labella said that fire victims will only be allowed to rebuild their homes on the privately-owned lot after the reblocking is complete.
“I was told that it was a private property but it has always been the position of the city that no one should be dislocated only by reason of fire. Kinahanglan pabalikon gyod nato sila (They should be allowed to return),” he said.
A fire on Sunday afternoon, November 3, 2019, burned more than a hundred homes in Sitio Panting leaving close to a thousand individuals homeless.
Read More: Fire razes 80 houses, displaces more than 500 in Cebu City
Labella assured fire victims that they will still have a place to stay after the reblocking is complete.
He said that if the lot’s private owner will already want to recover his property, he will have to resort to legal means.
“If we allow that the fire victims would no longer be allowed to return just because it’s a private property, some would not resort to legal and judicial processes. It would become a precedent, magsige na lang ug pagsunog,” he said.
Read More: IN PHOTOS: Barangay San Roque fire
Labella said that the city government had distributed 1,600 pack meals to the fire victims since Sunday night. Feeding will continue for a period of three days.
After the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) completes its listing of the fire-affected families, the Cebu City government will be giving out P20,000c cash assistance to the homeowners and P10,000 to the renters.
Labella said that they have also asked for donations of plywoods and beds for the fire victims, especially the children, now sleep on the cemented floors of the nearby Tinago Gym and the San Roque Sports Complex which they are now using as their temporary shelter.
The mayor also calling for donations of food, used clothing, toothbrush and toothpaste, and soap, among others, that could be distributed to the fire victims. / dcb