Fire victims to temporarily stay at Capitol-owned gym

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia already gave her approval for the Capitol-owned gym in Barangay Sudlon, Cebu City to be used as temporary shelter for the fire victims in Barangay Lahug while the return to their former dwelling is yet to be tackled alongside the Cebu City government.

The city government through Atty. Ronald Librando, head of the Division of the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP), took the chance to meet with the governor at the Cebu Provincial Capitol albeit no prior schedule mainly to discuss about the re-entry of the 41 families who are victims of a recent fire in Sitio San Vicente in Barangay Lahug late last month. The lot where the fire victims had resided is owned by the Province.

"This is in regard with our request for the re-entry of 41 fire victim families of Sitio San Vicente, Lahug, which sits on a Province-owned lot. We know how straightforward and strict she is but this time she wants to listen to the request of the fire victims themselves in person, together with Mayor Raymond Alvin Neri Garcia," Atty.Librado said through the City s Public Information Office.

For the meantime, Gov. Garcia has given the nod for the fire victims to stay at the Capitol-owned gym once their stay at the Lahug Elementary School lapsed.

Earlier, Mayor Garcia assured the Lahug fire victims that he would personally lobby before Gov. Garcia, his aunt, on the return of the fire victims to their original dwelling.

Aside from Gov. Garcia, Mayor Garcia also said that the city government would also be meeting with officials of the Department of Education 7 to request the agency to give access to the residents around their property in Lahug, especially during emergency situations.

Meanwhile, the City s Task Force Pabahay is set to meet with the fire victims in Sitio Naba, Barangay Mambaling to discuss about their relocation tomorrow, March 21.

The TF-Pabahay alongside the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office earlier recommended for the transfer of the fire victims to another area since the place they are in is supposedly a no build zone."

TF Pabahay s overseer and City Councilor Jerry Guardo also disclosed that sooner or later the area will also be cleared for the Mambaling by-pass road. — /JG (FREEMAN)