Houses encroaching three-meter easement demolished in Mandaue City

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu—At least 12 houses near LTHAI Village in Barangay Tipolo here were demolished by personnel from the Housing Urban and Development Office (HUDO) on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.

HUDO Demolition Team head Ceasar Ylanan said that 12 houses were demolished while two families volunteered to destroy their own houses. 

These houses that were demolished were the ones that encroached the three-meter easement zone of “Estero” creek, Ylanan added.

While some voluntarily destroyed their homes, a few were frustrated with the demolition.

Favian Virgil, chairman of the Tipolo Urban Poor Dwellers Association whose whose house was among those destroyed, said they don’t have a place to live because they were not given a relocation site or financial assistance by the city government.

Virgil also believes that the demolition did not undergo a right process. He said that there was no resolution from the barangay and approval from the city council. He claims there was no court order too.

But Fatima Lapiña, community affair officer 1 of HUDO’s beneficiaries, selection committee, stressed that the office followed the right process.

Lapiña said that they have conducted consultative meeting with the affected residents multiple times. They also sent notices to vacate but the residents did not evacuate the area.

She also claimed that the affected families were already given financial assistance before.

Moreover, Lapiña said that the demolition does not need a court order because the area is  government property and not private owned.

“Nabaryan na ni sila before most ani nila beneficiaries sa LTHAI but wala mo transfer….Ang uban mangita og court order but dili mani matawag nga court order kay dili mani private, government property man,” said Lapiña.

The demolition went on peacefully without any incident. 

/bmjo

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