Demolition, Mandaue style

CEBU, Philippines - It will take approximately four months for the Mandaue City government to pull out all the informal settlers from danger zones.

Nevertheless, the Housing Urban Development Office in the city, during a press conference yesterday said it will see to it that demolitions are done gently to show respect to families concerned.

HUDO chief Emmanuel Arong said informal settlers would be consulted and would then be issued a 30-day notice before a demolition or eviction is carried out.

For families who may opt to accept the city government's offer would be transferred to a relocation site while those who may decide not to can avail of financial assistance, he said.

Arong made clear his office is not tasked to demolish houses but only to find out whether a family is an informal settler and is living in a danger zone.

He said it is the city legal office that issues a demolition order and it is a demolition team that executes the order.

Presently, the city is negotiating for the acquisition of an over 6.5-hectare lot in barangay Paknaan that would then be developed into a relocation site.

Records show the city has 2,360 households that live in danger zones in barangays Subangdaku, Tipolo, Guizo, Mantuyong, Looc, Centro, Banilad, Ibabao, and Paknaan.

Barangay Subangdaku has the most number of informal settlers, which most of them live in river banks near the Mahiga Creek which traverses barangay Mabolo in Cebu City and Subangdaku in Mandaue.

The city government is bent on pulling out informal settlers from waterways to prevent flooding. (FREEMAN)