Chan to relocate coastal area residents to save city’s beaches

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan addresses government employees after their Monday morning, January 6, 2020, flag raising ceremony that was held at the City Hall grounds. | Photo grabbed from the Lapu-Lapu City Government – Chan Administration Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Lapu-Lapu City government is planning to relocate its coastal residents to ensure the preservation of its beaches and marine resources.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan said that informal settlers will soon be transferred to a socialized housing project, a medium-rise, four-story building, that will be built through public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.

Chan made the announcement in a brief speech which he delivered after their first flag raising ceremony for the year that was held at the City Hall grounds on Monday morning, January 6, 2020.

He expressed hope that construction of the planned housing project will start within the year.

“This is at no cost to the local government. It will be a PPP. Tukoron sa pribado ang usa ka medium rise, four-story socialized housing para sa mga kaigsuonan natong tua nagpuyo daplin sa baybayon (A private firm is building a medium rise, four-story socialized housing for our residents who now live in the city’s coastal areas),” Chan said in his speech that was aired live on the City Information Office Facebook page.

Chan said that coastal residents will be safer in their new homes.  Their transfer is also seen as a means to preserve the city’s beach fronts.

“Because we cannot afford nga ang atong tubig sa kabaybayonan ma-polluted. Ang atong puhonan sa atong syudad ang atong kabaybayonan. Kung mabalhin na sila, manindot na ang atong kadagatan,” Chan said.

(We cannot afford to see our coastal areas polluted. Or seas are an investment of the city government. If we are able to relocate coastal residents, this will greatly improve the condition of our seas.)

In 2018, former mayor and now Congresswoman Paz Radaza ordered the eviction of residents from six coastal barangays who live within the three-meter easement.

The move was part of the city’s course of action when the Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7) found that the level of fecal coliform in the city’s waters already exceeded the standard set by the bureau.

At the time, the fecal coliform levels in Mactan’s water reached 180 to 250 most probable number (MPN) per 100 ml, way higher than the standard of 100 MPN per 100 ml. / dcb