Mahiga settlers violate conditions

CEBU, Philippines - Families affected by the demolition at the Mahiga Creek who were allowed to construct their stores at the North Reclamation Area have violated the City Government’s condition for them not to convert the structures as their homes.

Noel Artes, head of the Squatters Prevention Encroachment Elimination Division (SPEED), discovered this immediately as the urban poor families are already building two-storey structures because they want to live at the upper portion and make the ground floor as their stores.

“Kon dili g’yud sila mopatoo gub-on na usab namo ang ilang gitukod nga straktura,” Artes said. (If they won’t abide by the rules then we will have to demolish their newly built structures.)

Mayor Michael Rama had agreed to the request of the urban poor families to temporarily allow them to build their stores at the City’s Block 27 which is vacant, but on the condition that they will not stay there.

Meanwhile, Artes said that they already demolished 120 of the 147 structures along the Mahiga Creek that are subject for clearing operations.

He, however, explained that the clearing of creeks in the city cannot be completed immediately because it involves hundreds of houses that are constructed at the side of the creek and on riverbanks.

Division for the Welfare of Urban Poor (DWUP) Chief Collin Rosell said there are about 12,000 families in the city who are living in danger zones like creeks, riverbanks, under the bridges and sidewalks.

Rama ordered the clearing of illegal structures along the creeks to try to return the original width of the waterways. — (FREEMAN)