Lapu-Lapu mayor eyes socialized housing project for Pusok fire victims

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan plans to expropriate the lot where the Sitio Sta. Maria fire victims live and have a socialized housing project in the area. | Contributed photo

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — The Lapu-Lapu City government plans to expropriate the lot where the fire victims of Sitio Sta. Maria, Barangay Pusok lived.

Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan said that he was planning to implement a socialized housing project in the area, to give fire victims security and to prevent them from being displaced.

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Lot owned by PEZA, private individual

Chan said that currently, the lot were owned by the Philippine Export Zone Authority (PEZA) and a private individual.

The mayor said that he would also ask help from the National Housing Authority (NHA) to fund the socialized housing project.

“The long-term is to have this under sa (the) NHA, the National Housing Authority,” Chan said.

Chan added that he was also planning to build a temporary shelter for the fire victims.

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Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian hands out 5 kilos of rice each to the Sitio Sta. Maria, Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City fire victims on Thursday, December 20. | Contributed photo

8,000 individuals displaced by fire

The fire in Sitio Sta. Maria on December 12, 2023, has displaced more than 8,000 individuals, where some of them were currently evacuated under the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.

“Kailangang may temporary silang shelter, temporary lang,” he added.

(They would need to have a temporary shelter, just a temporary one.)

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Reblocking of lot eyed

Aside from this, Chan said that he woul also implement reblocking in the area, for them to construct a road so that firefighters would not experience difficulties during fire incidents in the said place.

On Thursday, Senator Win Gatchalian inspected the fire scene and visited fire victims in the evacuation center.

The senator also distributed 5 kilograms of rice to each of the 1,380 affected families.

He also promised Chan to help the city in implementing the socialized housing project by referring them to national agencies concerned.

“So ang long-term solution ay mabigyan sila ng pabahay na hindi sa ganitong sitwasyon,” Gatchalian said.

(So the long-term solution is to give them a home that is not like this situation.)

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