A mother gives her little boy a bath at the CICC grounds. ( CDN PHOTO/ Ferdinand Edralin)
WHILE waiting for the re-blocking of the fire site in Barangays Guizo and Mantuyong, the Mandaue city government is considering the construction of temporary housing for the fire victims.
Jamaal James Calipayan, executive secretary to the mayor, said five three-story modular and collapsible buildings would be built on a portion of the fire site near the boundary of the Gaisano property.
Each building can accommodate 45 families. The project is estimated to cost P72 million, part of which will be financed by the city’s disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) funds.
Calipayan said they are just waiting for the city council’s approval.
Andres Suson, Mandaue City Engineers’ Office officer-in-charge, said Mayor Jonas Cortes has endorsed the project to the City Budget Office.
Some 1,533 families displaced by the Guizo-Mantuyong fire on March 12 this year are still staying at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) grounds, the Mandaue City Social Development and Services (CSWS) said.
Nearly 700 others, who were just house renters or sharers, have moved out after receiving assistance.
Development and reblocking of the fire site will start in June and are expected to be completed three months later.
Calipayan said the house owners among the fire victims would be allowed to rebuild their houses and occupy the temporary housing by batches.
As soon as a portion of the fire site is developed and reblocked, some of those staying at the temporary housing would be allowed to rebuild their houses in the area and move out of the temporary housing.
Other families from the CICC grounds would take their place at the temporary housing.
Each collapsible building could easily be dismantled and reconfigured for use in future disasters.
“About five times ma-dismantle [the modular housing] unya magamit pa siya ug balik. It is also an investment sa city magamit siya in case naay big disasters like this one (These can be dismantled five times and used again. These serve as the city’s investment because these can be used in case of disasters),” Calipayan said.
With the reblocking of the fire site, roads measuring 6.5-meters wide and a drainage system would be put in place.