Ermita fire victims endure heat, power woes

THREE weeks after a fire destroyed their homes, occupants of sitio Bato, barangay Ermita had to continue staying in tents as the clearing operation was postponed until after the elections tomorrow.

The clearing operation started last month but was stopped last Wednesday amid confrontations between occupants and a City Hall demolition team over fears that  they won’t be allowed to rebuild their homes.

In sitio Bato, a one-year-old child suffered from a diarrhea while others are coping with coughs and colds due to the summer heat and the intermittent rains.

While free water continues to be distributed in the area, occupants have to deal with the absence of power supply.

Solar powered lanterns were distributed by followers of the Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) to the occupants last Friday.

Some occupants have raised their concerns about the possible loss of their homes to Interior and Local Governments Undersecretary Francisco Fernandez, former city administrator of BO-PK founder and Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district.

Fernandez questioned the clearing operation, saying it was being enforced without consultation from the affected families.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama denied this, saying the occupants were informed about the clearing operation.

He said the clearing operation is necessary to allow re-blocking of the area which would widen the road and allow entry of fire trucks to fire-hit sites.

In related news, 100 members of four homeowners associations went home disappointed after their scheduled signing of an agreement with a private lot owner in sitio  Pit-os, barangay Talamban got canceled.

Filomino Lumayag, head of the Community Mortgage Program of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) said lot owner Wendy Segura told him that she was advised not to sell the lot since her financial problem was resolved.

The four homeowners groups were settlers of Mahiga Creek, which was cleared of occupants by Cebu City Hall in keeping with laws prohibiting the occupation of the easement zone in rivers. Correspondent Jose Santino Bunachita and CNU Intern Allet Mary Teves