City starts clearing Citi Center

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government has started clearing the Citi Center Complex in Barangay Kamagayan of illegal settlers.

At least 142 swellings were removed by personnel of the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (Probe) yesterday. After clearing, the city will then re-block the area

“I-demolish kay i-reblocking para i-arrange para masud ang tanan,” said Probe team leader Remando Madriñan.

Madriñan said the demolition will take around four days. After that, the Department for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) will conduct a survey and after at least a week, residents can begin rebuilding their houses.

Kamagayan barangay captain Raquel Avila said the affected residents are staying in 10 tents provided by the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

No one has complained of the clearing operation. In fact, Mary Flor Juanico who has lived in the area for 11 years sees the city’s decision as beneficial.

“Agree ra pud mi para mataraong ang among puwesto. Ok ra man sad among kahimtang diri sa tent. Pabalikon ra man sad kono mi,” she said.

Avila said the city government is planning to build two five-story condominium building at the site – one for City Hall employees and the other is for the qualified residents of the barangay.

Avila said earlier that clearing the complex is the finest scheme to stop the illegal activities in the place.

In 2012, occupants of the area filed a petition before the Regional Trial Court to stop the clearing operation. They said the move is “illegal and without basis” under the Urban Development Housing Act and the Local Government Code.

The claimants said the previous owner of complex allowed them to stay in the area since they were paying a monthly rental. They started living there in 2000.

Sometime in 2004, however, the property was forfeited in favor of the city government after its previous owner failed to pay taxes. Last year, the court dismissed the claimants’ petition.  (FREEMAN)