Ermita fire Rama: Demolish all gutted houses

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama wants all concrete structures gutted by fire in Sitio Bato Barangay Ermita will not be spared in the clearing operation conducted by City Hall personnel to ensure public safety.

Rama issued the statement after learning that some owners of big concrete houses gutted by fire last week have started renovating their houses despite warning from City Hall officials.

“Basta makaagi na gani og sunog ang semento kuyaw na kaayo na kay wala na g’yud na’y lig-on og makahatag lang og peligro,” Rama said.

Raquel Arce, chief of the city’s Prevention Restoration Order and Beautification Enhancement (Probe), said she already warned fire victims against using the remaining structures of their houses because these will all be cleared by the city government.

“Mopadayon na ‘sab mi og clearing sa Lunes. Tiwason g’yud namo kay aron makasugod na og reblocking (We will continue the clearing operation on Monday. We will finish it for the reblocking to start),” Arce told The FREEMAN.

Most fire victims urged the City Hall clearing team to spare no one in the clearing operation even those structures owned by rich people in the barangay to be fair for them.

City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete earlier explained that after the clearing operation, technical personnel from City Hall will come in to reblock the area to ensure access for emergency situations like fire.

Poblete said the reblocking will give advantage to the majority of the fire victims because the area would be equally divided among the house owners affected.

More than 100 houses were razed by fire last week that claimed the life of a child. A woman also died of heart attack while seeing her house eaten up by the fire.

Firefighters have difficulty in penetrating the area because of lack of access road.  (FREEMAN)