Rama eyes city-wide readiness against fires

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday announced that he wants a “re-blocking” and road restoration not only in the fire-stricken barangays of Tejero, Mambaling and Punta Princesa but all over the city.

He announced in yesterday’s press conference that this is needed in thickly-populated residential areas in Cebu City to prevent huge fire incidents, and assured families who will be displaced to be given relocation sites.

Rama will form a task force to be composed of representatives from the various government agencies including the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), City Hall and non-government organizations.

Last July 9, hundreds of individuals were displaced after a two-hour blaze struck in Tejero, followed by another in Mambaling. Days after, thousands also lost their houses when a fire hit Punta Princesa.

Firefighters reportedly had a hard time putting out the blaze because of the narrow roads in the area.

“Wala pa`y sunog ato nang buhaton,” Rama said. (Let’s do this before another fire hits us.)

Last year, Rama implemented the re-blocking of T. Padilla after thousands lost their houses to a fire.

According to Rama, he will no longer wait for another fire before the City Government implements the re-blocking and road restoration because there are many densely populated areas in the city where vehicles have difficulty passing through during emergencies.

He instructed all barangays and the fire department to identify areas which need re-blocking or road restoration. Rama wants the widening of existing roads and the opening of more access roads as part of disaster preparedness.

Fire victims in barangays Tejero and Punta Princesa where more than 400 residential houses were razed by fires last Saturday and Monday, would not be allowed to re-build their houses until the re-blocking is completed.

Other thickly-populated areas that would be affected by the re-blocking plan are barangay Suba, Pasil, Lorega-San Miguel, Labangon, Tinago, Dulho-Fatima and Mambaling, among others.

Cebu City Fire Marshall Aderson Comar will identify the barangay where the re-blocking would be implemented first but Comar was hesitant to say what was in his mind.

When Comar assumed his post last year, he announced that one of his projects is to widen the access roads in several thickly-populated barangays.

While Rama understands that transferring of residence is difficult, he said this would be much better than waiting for houses to be burned to the ground.

Even Cebu City South district Rep. Tomas R. Osmeña supports the plan.

Rama will invite NGOs to help, particularly in barangays where owners of houses that encroach on spaces intended for vehicles.

Meanwhile, Cebu City North District Rep. Rachel ‘Cutie‘ del Mar yesterday distributed financial assistance to at least 200 families affected by the fire in Tejero.

Osmeña will also distribute sacks of rice to the families in Tejero. Osmeña already distributed aid to the affected families in Mambaling while he will also extend assistance to Punta Princesa.

While Osmeña is representing the south congressional district, he is giving P10,000-cash assistance to each of the fire victims whose houses were razed and P5,000 for owners of houses that were damaged.

Osmeña explained that unlike the giving of sacks of rice to fire victims, the release of monetary aid takes time because it needs documents from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

He made the explanation because questions were raised earlier on why the congressman still failed to give cash assistance to the fire victims in barangay Punta Princesa, while Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia already distributed sacks of rice and canned goods. (FREEMAN)