Fire-struck Luz sitios ready to rebuild

THEY’RE ready for the rebuilding of four sitios in barangay Luz damaged by the May 11 fire.

This is the sentiment of fire victims, barangay Luz officials and the Cebu City Council after clearing operations wrapped up.

“We will follow up with MCWD (Metro Cebu Water District) and Veco (Visayan Electric Co.) next week,” said Councilor Nida Cabrera, chairperson of the committee on environment, yesterday.

Cabrera made the call after the council approved a resolution requesting MCWD to install fire hydrants and Veco to put up electric poles, lines and meters in the affected sitios.

The council also asked the Cebu City Street lighting Division to install street lights.

Cabrera said the four sitios affected by fire were already cleared and ready for the rebuilding – sitios Abellana, Lubi, City Central and Sto.Niño I.

“Affected families already vacated the school since this morning,” said Cabrera of the fire victims, who temporarily took shelter in at least 36 classrooms of the Mabolo Elementary School.

Some residents already started rebuilding their houses while others set up tents.

At least 300 houses were destroyed and  546 families left homeless in four sitios in last May 11’s fire in barangay Luz.

Narrow interior roads prevented firefighters from penetrating the area.

The barangay council also said yesterday that it supported the restoration of the interior roads to a width of 6 meters as indicated in the subdivision plans.

This will ensure access to firetrucks in case of an emergency.

Cabrera said that three non-government organizations were also offering a free house for five families.

She said that these families would have to be selected according to their economic status.

The NGOs are Alliance for Land and Livelihood for the Rural and Urban Poor of Cebu (ALL-R-UP), Pagtambayayong Foundation Inc. (PFI), Center for Participatory Governance (CPAG)./Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao