Due to the danger they face: Mayor Tom wants houses at sitio Dakit demolished

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants the houses at sitio Dakit, barangay Guadalupe, which face the imminent danger of flooding and landslides, be demolished.

Osmeña said there is no way he will not push for the demolition of the houses, which have been identified to be in grave danger even if safety measures have been put in place by Landco Development Corporation, the developer of a subdivision project in the hills of the southern part of the city.

“There is a basic rule, God is all powerful, don’t challenge God, don’t challenge nature, don’t put yourself in harm’s way,” Osmeña said.

The mayor made this decision after some residents reportedly refused to go to evacuation centers despite the temporary provisions made by the Cebu City government to ensure their safety.

He said he is tasking City Administrator Bimbo Fernandez to look for a strategy on the relocation of residents, which will be taken care of by the developer.

“Of course there has to be a public consultation first prior to the demolition.” Osmeña said.

Fernandez for his part said that he will find a win-win solution on this problem.

Fernandez, who is considered by the mayor as an expert in socialized housing and in urban poor matters, said that he will talk with the residents as demolition would surely be a last resort.

“I will talk to them and we will see what we can do. We will find a win-win solution on this matter,” Fernandez said.

Meanwhile, City Disaster and Coordinating Council Chairman Councilor Gerardo Carillo yesterday said the eight families who initially refused to go to the evacuation center were finally convinced to vacate.

The group decided to move out yesterday when the province was placed under storm signal number one.

Landco, other stakeholders, and CDCC yesterday met to thresh out the problems concerning the residents and the developer.

Carillo said that in yesterday’s meeting they finalized mitigating measures and relocation sites.

It was also decided that houses being constructed or that would be constructed at the slopes be required to have a building permit or else work would be stopped.

It maybe recalled Mayor Tomas Osmeña revoked the development permit of Landco last April 2008.

Landco was then instructed by the city to initiate some steps like the construction of concrete walls that will work like a pond to retain the water during heavy rains and to prevent flooding in lower areas.

This after the houses of about 12 residents in sitio Dakit, Guadalupe was buried by mud and flood waters reportedly coming from the development site during a heavy downpour.

The residents, who are considered as informal settlers or squatters in that place blamed the developer of the subdivision project in the hills of their barangay for their woes, but Landco officials denied that they are the ones that caused the recent flooding.

Landco is the developer of the 200-hectare Monterrazas de Cebu located at the hilly portions of sitio Banawa, barangay Guadalupe, Punta Princesa, Tisa and Labangon. — /NLQ (THE FREEMAN)