Presented with the plan to widen their roads, residents of fire-damaged barangay Barrio Luz in Cebu City are not opposing the idea.
Fire victims gathered at the Barrio Luz Elementary School’s gym yesterday afternoon where lawyer Collin Rosell, Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) chief, presented the road widening which will be implemented before houses are rebuilt.
The widening of alleys will make it accessible for firefighters and other rescue vehicles to respond during emergencies.
The initial plan is to widen the alleys to as much as four to six meters, connecting the Archbishop Reyes Avenue to other parts of Cabantan, near the corner to the barangay hall.
This will cut the sizes of some houses and establishments, said Rosell, but will also offer the advantage of having houses not too close to each other.
The department is still finalizing the plan, especially on the size of the houses that will be rebuilt.
Fire victims are happy with the plan.
“Okay ra kaayo mi. Nalipay ra man pod mi kay matarong na mi ba, dili na sikit-sikit,” said Gladys Serad, housewife and mother of three. (We are happy that we’ll have breathing spaces, finally.)
Peter Lipatan, 55, a telecom worker, sees no problem ending up with a smaller house as long as the city government would help in the reconstruction.
Collin assured them of the city’s help.
A fire destroyed 250 houses in Barrio Luz last October 8, affecting 265 families or 1, 032 individuals.
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