Initiate negotiations in socialized housing areas

CEBU, Philippines -  Mayor Michael Rama was requested by the officials of Barangay Apas, Cebu City to initiate negotiations with the concerned government agencies or private individuals who own the lots that have been identified as socialized housing sites in Cebu City.

Through a resolution, the Apas Barangay Council headed by Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman said there are several government or private-owned lots in their barangay that were identified as socialized housing sites but the city failed to do its task.

Ayuman explained that the city must help the urban poor families in its territorial jurisdiction to acquire the lots that they are presently occupying so they will not be evicted from their locations.

Some 168 urban poor families whose houses are situated in a lot that has been declared already as socialized housing site in Sitio San Miguel, Barangay Apas are facing possible eviction after the lot owner, Mariano Godinez, moved for their eviction after winning his case in court.

According to Ayuman, many of the lots declared already as socialized housing sites in 1995 are still not owned by the actual occupants because the government failed to help them. He added that the atmosphere being seen and experienced by the residents of Sitio San Miguel, Apas was a failure on the part of the city.

 “To rectify such failure, it is in the very earliest opportune time to move on with the Urban Poor Program of the Cebu City government by pursuing the implementation of the program now being declared as socialized housing site to expropriate the same if not sold to the government,” the barangay resolution reads.

For its part, the City Council decided to refer the matter to the Committee on Housing chaired by Councilor Alvin Dizon for study and recommendation.  (FREEMAN)