Affected Mahiga settlers offered vending spaces

CEBU, Philippines - The stand of Mayor Michael Rama against the Mahiga Creek settlers who sued him appears to have softened yesterday after he ordered his subordinates to provide them with vending space for their livelihood as well as temporary shelter.

This after the mayor made an ocular inspection of Mahiga Creek shortly before noon yesterday.

From City Hall, Rama boarded a taxi together with some of the urban poor families in going to Mahiga Creek. His bodyguard and some City Hall officials just followed the taxi in the mayor’s service vehicle.

During his last meeting with the same families last week in City Hall, Rama was hesitant to give them vending places in the North Reclamation Area because they had filed complaints against him before the Office of the Ombudsman and before the court.

Rama instructed Engr. Apollo Dante of the Department of Engineering and Public Works and Joseph Abellar, consultant on infrastructure system and management, to help each other with the speedy construction of a concrete sidewalk and drainage system in the area to prevent flooding.

The mayor also ordered Alvin Santillana, executive director of the Cebu City Disaster Risk-Reduction and Management, to put up collapsible tents at the city-owned Block 27 as temporary shelter for the 32 affected families.

Rama also instructed the DEPW engineers to install lighting and water supply at the temporary shelters, although he failed to say how long the concerned families are allowed to stay there.

“When I say temporary shelter duna na’y kinutoban,” Rama said. 

The concerned urban poor families who are members of the San Isidro II Homeowners Association under Gemma Rosaceña welcomed the latest development.

Collin Rosell, head of the Division for the Welfare of Urban Poor said until now no one from the concerned families applied for their relocation site in Barangay San Jose, a barangay adjacent to Talamban. (FREEMAN)