Tony Pet Juanico, head of Mandaue City’s Housing and Urban Development Office (Hudo). CDN Digital photo | Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu- Mandaue City plans to continue the clearing of informal settlers living within the 3-meter easement zone from the riverbanks of both the Butuanon river and Mahiga creek so it could resume with its flood control projects.
With this, the city plans to file an appeal for consideration to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), which issued memorandum circular no. 2020-068 last April 2, 2020, directing all Local Government Units (LGUs) to postpone all demolition and eviction operations during the enhanced community quarantine and state of national emergency.
“I’m requesting, nagprocess nami ron sa amoang appeal for consideration,” said Tony Pet Juanico, head of the city’s Housing and Urban Development Office (Hudo).
(We are processing our appeal for consideration.)
Should the appeal be approved by the DILG, it will pave the way for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to continue with flood control projects such as building retaining walls and dredging to deepen and widen the rivers.
Flooding has become a problem again lately due to heavy downpour brought about by weather disturbances.
Around 3,297 families will be affected should clearing operations resume.
Lawyer John Eddu Ibañez, executive secretary of Mayor Jonas Cortes, said that the city will check first on the situation of the settlers before implementing any clearing operation.
“Because of the pandemic, it’s hard to force them to leave. We also pity them because they won’t have a place to live in. So we have to weight it out because it will also be hard not to go through with the flood control projects. Floods will continue in Paknaan and Umapad,” Ibañez said.
Juanico said that the city will actually shell out financial assistance to affected settlers.
“We offer them programs in the city, we will give them financial assistance if they just comply because we really need their cooperation. Because of the weather condition that we have and the flooding issue, particularly, their lives will always be at risk,” Juanico said.
As of now, the barangay captains (village chiefs) of the barangays along the rivers were tasked to create a task force to monitor their respective danger zones or flood-prone areas.
/bmjo
Read: Barangay task force eyed to help ease flooding in Mandaue