Urban Poor Solidarity Week opens today

CEBU, Philippines - Solidarity walk, free legal and medical services, People's Initiative for Social Order seminar, agreement signings, plus an exhibit on housing and tree-planting activities have been lined up for Cebu City's celebration of Urban Poor Solidarity Week 2016.

The city government through the Department for the Welfare of Urban Poor (DWUP) has prepared a week-long celebration for marginalized individuals set to begin today and will last until December 8.

As mandated by law, Urban Poor Solidarity Week is celebrated annually to make the urban poor feel that they are not different from others and they are being given priority by the government.

December 2 to 8 was declared as Urban Poor Solidarity Week under Presidential Proclamation No. 367 by former Philippine President Corazon Aquino.

"All government departments, agencies and offices, and non-governmental organizations are hereby enjoined to extend the necessary cooperation and support in this undertaking," the proclamation reads.

With this, DWUP acting head Genevieve Alcoseba told reporters that they prepared events and activities specifically for the marginalized.

 "Bisan sa kalisod nga ilang naagian, we want to pamper them pud, nga they are special, dili sila lahi, then usa pud ni sa gusto sa mayor nga mahatagan og atensyon ang mga kabos," said Alcoseba.

Today, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the exhibit of different urban poor housing agencies at 10 a.m. in Plaza Sugbu.

Tomorrow, December 3, there will be a solidarity walk from Fuente Osmeña to City Hall with an estimated 6,000 attendees. The walk will be followed by a short program where Mayor Tomas Osmeña is expected to deliver a solidarity message.

On December 4 at 7 a.m., a tree-planting activity will be held at the Barangay Binaliw resettlement site, while on December 5, there will be a public signing of implementing rules and regulations of the slum improvement and resettlement project in Suba, Pasil, Sawang Calero, Alaska Mambaling at 1:30 p.m. in Plaza Sugbu.

On December 6, the "Doktora-Abogada" activity will be held at the Legislative Building of City Hall for the legal assistance, while the medical consultation will happen at Plaza Sugbu from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On December 7, the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Cebu Province and Cebu City to settle the 93-1 lot issue will happen at 1:30 in the afternoon at Plaza Sugbu.

The week-long activity will close with an education seminar entitled People's Initiative for Social Order on the 4th floor of the Legislative Building from 9 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

Alcoseba could not yet divulge the city's budget for the celebration but she told reporters that some activities are done in partnership with private companies. (FREEMAN)