Fish pen owners of Banilad turn to Mandaue City Council on notice of demolition issue

The Mandaue City Council tackles the concerns of the fish pen owners who received notices of demolition of their fish pens at the wetland in Barangays Banilad and Cabancalan area. | Mary Rose Sagarino

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Fish pen owners, who are members of Sitio Tubigan Homeowners Association in Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City, have raise their concerns regarding the issued notice of demolition of fish pens.

Some members of the association visited the City Council on Monday, Oct. 23, to raise their concerns about the notice of demolition of fish pens and notice of suspension with cease and desist order and notice of demolition that were issued by the Housing Urban and Development Office and Business Permit and Licensing Office and respectively.

READ: Mandaue City plans to remove fish pens and desilt wetland to prevent flooding

Three days to demolish fish pens

Rashel Begente, a member of the association, said that they were given three days to demolish their cages from the day the letter was handed to them on Oct. 18. 

The group is worried about their livelihood, which lies in selling aquarium fish and other kinds of fish like tilapia.

“Unta naay katin-awan ang amoang pag-ari diri. Dili unta idayon (demolish), wala gyuy lain panginabuhian,” said Oliver Cabahug, president of the association who lived and grew fish there for over 20 years already.

(We hope that we can have a clear picture in us coming here. We hope that they will not push through (with the demolition), we don’t any other means of livelihood.)

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Do flood mitigation first

The group is asking if clearing the fish pens can be done after the implementation of other flood mitigation projects to confirm if the pens caused flooding in nearby areas.

“Hinaot unta dili lang ipatangtang, kung pwede man gale unahon ba to or padak-an ang drainages. Amoang gusto wala lang unta ipatangtang, bisan pagamyan lang ang mga nets like mohatag mi og 3 meters apart,” said Rashel Begente.

(We hope that they will not remove (the fish pens). They can also first make the drainage bigger. What we want is that nothing will be removed. We can even make our nets smaller like we can give 3 meters apart.)

READ: Girl, playing in the rain, dies after she fell into a canal, got swept inside a culvert in Mandaue

No plan to vacate residents from wetlands

Although the city wants to clear the fish pens, there is no plan to vacate the residents. The city also plans to give residents financial assistance, according to Lawyer John Eddu Ibañez, the city legal officer and head of Task Force APAS (Atoang Problema, Atoang Sulbaron) in a previous interview with the media.

The fish pens are part of the wetland in barangay Banilad and Cabancalan area.

The wetland with an area of 146,270 square meters, functions as a catch basin that holds rain and run-off water coming from its neighboring areas such as Cebu City.

But because it was already silted and filled with water lilies, the water tends to backflow to a nearby village, which is located just in front of the wetland, said Ibañez.

Ibañez said that would hinder the desilting and dredging operations in the area.

READ: Floods: The new epidemic

Clearing fish pens, dredging wetlands

Clearing the fish pens and dredging the wetland were among the considered solutions to help solve the city’s flooding problem, as discussed during the press conference last Oct. 5.

Begente claimed that they were not informed and consulted about the plan.

“Yes, kay wala man mi kadawat og invitation, said Begente during her appearance to the City Council.

(Yes, because we did not receive an invitation.)

Because of this, members of the City Council recommended that the concerned offices be present at the next regular session next week, to get their side on why were the notices issued.

READ: Metro Cebu execs seek lasting solution to floods

Demolition put on hold

Moreover, it was also recommended the demolition would be put on hold until the concern would be cleared up.

“It is much better on our end, the council to communicate. To get their side, what were their basis for the inspection, so maybe they also have their basis on the issuance of cease and desist order aside from the permit they are looking for,” said City Councilor Malcolm Sanchez.

“We will ask BPLO and HUDO, to stay whatever actions they will do because we still have a matter to thresh out…(And) the proper committee, the environment and infrastructure (to be invited),” said City Councilor Lawyer Joel Seno.