Guizo fire: 20 families set for transfer to Brgy. Paknaan

The fire site in Sitio San Jose, Brgy. Guizo, Mandaue City.| CDN Digital photo / Mary Rose Sagarino

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The Mandaue City government is set to relocate the over 90 families that were affected by a recent fire in Sitio San Jose in Brgy. Guizo.

But the transfer will be done in batches, according to Atty. Jamaal James Calipayan, the Mandaue City administrator.

Calipayan said they will prioritize the transfer of the 20 families whose homes used to be built on the river in Sitio San Jose.  These families will be relocated to “Ganghaan sa Paknaan” in Brgy. Paknaan.

READ: Guizo, Mandaue fire leaves at least 100 families homeless

Aside from the threat to their safety, Calipayan said they needed to remove illegal structures from the heavily silted river to facilitate dredging.

The rest of the fire victims, those who live along the riverbank, will be allowed to rebuild their homes at the fire site for now.

READ: Guizo fire victims receive financial aid from Mandaue City government

However, their stay in the area will only be temporary.

Calipayan said they were made to sign a waiver to commit to voluntarily vacate the area in the future.

READ: ‘Ganghaan sa Paknaan’ families promised permanent dwellings

Guizo fire

The fire victims lost their homes to a fire that broke out in Sitio San Jose last July 17.  They were temporarily accommodated at the Guizo Elementary School.

Last Friday, they were asked to already vacate the school premise as a preparation for the resumption of face-to-face classes at the public elementary school on Monday, August 5.

When classes opened last July 29, pupils at the Guizo Elementary School shifted to modular distance learning as fire victims were still using their classrooms.