No re-blocking; City Hall to deal with lot owner

ON HOLD. A girl carries her packed lunch while walking past the gutted homes in Quiot. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

Cebu City Hall may be unable to re-block the fire site in sitio Sto. Niño in barangay Quiot since the lot is owned by a private firm.

“We don’t want to give an impression that the city owns the lot, so we will also consider ownership of the lot,” said Dr. Ester Concha, head of City Hall’s Department of Social Welfare Services (DSWS).

The lot is owned by Japer Development Co.

Concha said the fire victims will soon receive cash assistance.

But delivery of housing materials will be delayed until the city government settles with the lot owner who secured an eviction order.

Labella formed an ad hoc committee consisting of Cebu City Administrator Lucelle Mercado, City Legal Officer Jerone Castillo and Colin Rosell, head of the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) to deal with the situation.

“We will discuss with Japer Development Co. about the relocation of the fire victims,” Labella said.

DSWS said 772 persons were displaced by the fire that destroyed 97 houses in sitios Labrador and Sto. Niño in barangay Quiot, Pardo.

“Makigstorya pa lage mi sa tag-iya sa yuta kung makapatukod ba mig balik. Mao na kami karon, huwat-huwat lang sa (We have yet to talk with the land owner if we can rebuild. That is why for now, we are still waiting),” said 50-year-old Radney Maalam, a sari-sari store owner.

Maalam’s siblings and neighbors Naomi Ampo and Levi Torin also lost their homes which were near Valeria Ugahayon’s house, where the fire originated.

Other residents like 50-year-old Roger Lao is thankful to the Sto. Niño for sparing their houses from the fire.

“This image of Sr. Sto. Niño has been passed on by my father for years after he found it thrown at a drainage area near Sanciangco. He brought this home one day, and from then, we have celebrated Sinulog every year with novena prayers,” he said.