Nine houses demolished at Doña Pepang cemetery

Nine houses fronting the Doña Pepang Cemetery were demolished by Cebu City Hall to pave the way for its plan to convert it into a heritage park.

Edgar Quiñones, spokesman of the Doña Pepang Osmeña Mausoleum Homeowners Association, was among those whose homes were taken down.

“I’m  not sure where  to go after our house was demolished since City Hall isn’t  sure about relocation in barnagay  Lorega,” Quiñones said.

The Department for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) initially said a relocation site in  Lorega-San Miguel is ready for displaced residents to move in.  But  Lorega-San Miguel’s barangay chairman Fitzgerald Herrera said the village isn’t  ready to accommodate new settlers.

Herrera said they submitted a barangay resolution asking Mayor Michael Rama to reconsider the relocation of Doña Pepang families to their barangay.

An earlier  batch of  68 fire victims who  live in a relocation site there were not welcoming.

“If even one person from another barangay will come here, we will not allow it. We will rally against it,” said Victorino Polotan, spokesman of informal settlers.

Collin Rosell, DWUP chief,  said the protestors have no basis to insiste on exclusive use.

“The lot is for all socialized housing beneficiaries. The barangay cannot say that we are doing this without  permission because they are aware that the area is not only for them,” Rosell said./UP Cebu Intern Juli Ann M. Sibi

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