Isla Puting Bato fire victims given new houses in Rizal

The Manila City government has started relocating some of the families who lost their houses after a fire hit a slum community in Isla Puting Bato, Tondo.

On Tuesday, 45 of the families who have been seeking shelter at Del Pan Sports Complex in Tondo, since the May 11 fire were transferred to Barangay San Jose in Rodriguez town, Rizal province.

Other beneficiaries were ferried on three buses to the site so that they could visit the area and inspect their new homes.

Mayor Alfredo Lim’s chief of staff Ricardo de Guzman confirmed that the houses for the fire victims were ready to be occupied.

He added that the affected families would be transferred to the resettlement site in the next few weeks.

As for the victims’ concern that they would be leaving their means of livelihood behind in Manila, De Guzman expressed hope that the Rizal provincial government would be able to provide them with new sources of income.

The fire which hit Purok 1 and 2 of the slum community in Isla Puting Bato displaced around 1,500 families.

It also left a fireman and four residents, including a 2-year-old child, injured.

Aside from firemen, members of the Philippine Coast Guard were also called in to respond after some of the residents jumped into Manila Bay to escape from their burning houses.

Most of the houses in the area were located on Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) property.

The families’ transfer to Rizal province came a week after they  wrote a letter to the city council and asked for help in persuading the PPA to allow them to go back to the site of their former houses.

Opposition from residents

In its letter, the Samahang Maralita ng Isla Puting Bato, Tondo Inc., also expressed doubt about he relocation. In particular, it asked: “Where is the relocation site? Is it ready? Does it have a school, electricity, water, health center, market and other facilities? How prepared is the local government unit for us?”

The group likewise asked that the relocation be carried out in accordance with the Urban Development and Housing Act and in consultation with their members first.