Condo units for poor eyed

THE construction of medium-rise condominium units for families displaced by demolitions and those relocated from danger zones may be pursued by the Cebu City government.

Colin Rosell, head of Cebu City’s Department for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP), said the city government plans to acquire a 21, 000 square meter lot across the Inayawan barangay hall to accommodate 300 urban poor families.

He also said a proposal by Provincial Boardmember Grecilda “Gigi” Sanchez-Zaballero to construct medium-rise condominium buildings for occupants of province-owned lots may be feasible but is difficult to implement.

Rosell said while half of nearly 5,000 occupants of province-owned lots under Ordinance 93-1 paid for their assigned lots, their properties are spread in various parts of the city.

“How will you consolidate parcels of land that aren’t contiguous? Besides, the said properties (93-1 lots) are already devoted for specific beneficiaries under the 93-1 provincial ordinance,” he told reporters.

The Inayawan property priced at P4,000 to P4,500 per sq. meters has a flat terrain and is ideal for condominiums.

Rosell said the city government has a P50 million allocation in the 2013 budget for lot acquisition.

To date, the Cebu City government has 300 unoccupied spaces in relocation sites located in Budlaan, Sugbu Homes in Lahug and in San Jose.

The city’s need for relocation sites is expected to further increase with its plan to already remove families living at the danger zones.

As of Sept. 24, DWUP conducted socio-economic surveys on 1,033 danger zone occupants who live along the Lahug River, Mahiga Creek, Camputhaw River, Carreta River, Day-as River, Lorega River, Mabolo River, Dujo Fatima River, T. Padilla River, Tejero Creek, Tinago River and Zapatera River.

Mahiga Creek occupants, who were among the recently surveyed families, were already issued a 15-day notice to vacate last week.

The Reduction of Danger Zones (REDz) task force wanted to use the Mahiga Creek as a pilot area in their danger zone clearing operations. Rosell said they are persuading the affected families to accept the city’s relocation offer.

He said that to date, they are negotiating for the acquisition of the Inayawan property owned by the heirs of Anna Abanggan for danger zone occupants and about 300 urban poor families who live nearby.

He said the site is suited for the construction of a four-storey condominium units which could accommodate at least 60 families.