Warwick fire victims yesterday started leaving their tents in Block 27 of the North Reclamation Area and moving to the government relocation site in Budlaan, Cebu City.
A city dump truck ferried them to the mountain barangay.
Mayor Michael Rama said that over a hundred families have to vacate Block 27 because the city will use the area for other purposes.
The Cebu Port Authority, for one, expressed interest to occupy part of the area as a container yard under a three-year lease but Rama limited it to one year so that other parties can use the land.
Rama said he would even consider a joint venture with SM Prime Holdings or other investors for a mixed-use development in the area.
“Block 27 is a living savings. It’s P1 billion worth of savings,” he said.
Rama said he fought against having the lot swapped with province-owned lots identified in provincial ordinance 93-1) to deal with “utang of only P187 million.”
Two to three families of fire victims occupy each of 64 tents in Block 27.
The transfer have to be completed by today on orders of city administrator Lucell Mercado.
Several occupants are hesitant to move out though because Budlaan is largely undeveloped and steep.
Alvin Santillana said qualified fire victims will receive P5,000 cash assistance from the city upon their transfer to Budlaan.
“But not everyone is qualified to receive the cash assistance,” he said.
The city social welfare office and DWUP will screen beneficiaries.
Warwick fire victims were given a 72-hour notice to vacate on June 13.
The noticed lapsed on June 16 but it was only yesterday that city-owned dump trucks were sent to help the affected families transfer their belongings to Budlaan.
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