For talk with mayor: Fire victims eye help from DILG Manila

CEBU, Philippines - The fire victims who are staying temporarily at the North Reclamation Area (NRA) plan to ask the Department of Interior and Local Government Central Office for help after Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama refused to meet them for a dialogue.

Emalyn Aliviano, spokesperson of Kilusan, a non-government organization helping the fire victims, said they have asked Rama four times for a dialogue with the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) and Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) but the mayor did not heed their request.

“If di gyud gani, moadto mi DILG national… it is a failure,” Aliviano said.

They were informed through a letter that the mayor could not accommodate them because of his busy schedule.

The group wants to hold the dialogue to make sure that the city government will sign a memorandum of agreement, which will ensure that it will provide water, electricity, financial assistance and livelihood, among others, to the fire victims once they move to the relocation site in Barangay Budlaan while the papers for the acquisition of a lot in Talavera, Quiot Pardo are being processed.

The city has offered Barangay Budlaan as relocation site but the fire victims do not want to move there because the area is difficult to access.

Rama, for his part, said he has already designated his men to deal with the affected residents.

“Ngano wala silbi akong mga tawo? Kanang mga butanga, og unsay giingon sa DWUP, barugan gyud na,” Rama said.

“Kahibawo man gud sila ibutang gyud na sila diha (Budlaan). Ikaduha, aware man sad sila nga dili sila perminti diha (NRA),” he added.

The victims earlier said that they will not transfer to Budlaan unless Rama will talk to them. Last week, they asked Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma to help facilitate the dialogue. –/JMO (FREEMAN)