About 35 families living near the Doña Pepang cemetery appealed to the Cebu City government to spare their homes from demolition.
In a meeting at Cebu City Hall last Friday, the families and barangay officials of barangay Tejero met with the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) to discuss the planned demolition.
Tejero barangay councilman Garry Lao said the families asked that the city should just re-block the area.
“We will support the request of our constituents. Instead of demolishing the houses, why not re-block? That’s their request so that they don’t become an eyesore in the area,” Lao said.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama ordered that meetings be held with the affected families amid plans to convert the Roman Catholic Cemetery, commonly known as the Doña Pepang Cemetery, into a heritage park.
Suggestions
DWUP Chief Collin Rosell said the area where the houses stand along the entrance road going to the cemetery is small enough to be re-blocked.
He said they will review and consider the suggestions of the affected families including their request to be relocated near barangay Lorega, San-Miguel.
“This is just our first meeting although we’ve been warning them for a long time already. We are considering their suggestions but definitely, the project should be pursued,” Rosell said.
Lao said the city should continue consulting with the affected families.
Rama announced late last year that the city government will push through with an earlier plan of former mayor Tomas Osmeña to convert the cemetery into a park.
Ownership of the lot where the cemetery stands belongs the city government after it entered into a land swap deal with the Archdiocese of Cebu.