City Hall to restrict entry into fire site

Not every resident displaced by last Saturday’s fire in barangay Tejero, Cebu City will return home.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said while most of the families can go back to their lots, some will be displaced because of the planned re-blocking and road widening there. The number of affected families rose to 194 and counting.

In a radio interview, barangay captain Jessielou Cadungog said the number of persons displaced could reach up to 1,200.

“About 70 percent of the three sitios affected by fire is owned by the city government while the rest is owned by private persons,” he said.

Cadungog said he isn’t sure if all of them could return to their lots.

Most families chose to stay near their burned houses  for fear they could not return to their lots while some chose to stay in the Tejero gymnasium.

“It has never been the city’s practice that fires should be used as a reason to drive the residents away. But it is incumbent that the re- blocking and road widening should be given priority,” Rama said.

Rama will meet today with the Emergency Management Team for the re-blocking of barangay Tejero.

“The narrow roads constrict the fire trucks in the interior roads, so they cannot enter since there is no other way out,” Rama said.

The mayor will  be briefed with the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management, Tejero council and the police.

Sitios Luoban, Sitio Back Blessed and Sitio Aykite of barangay Tejero were affected by the fire.

The Tejero barangay council will hold a session to declare three sitios as calamity stricken areas to facilitate release of calamity funds.

Tejero barangay councilor Garry Lao said Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district will join their session and pledge aid to the families.

He said Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia also signified her willingness to provide assistance. Correspondent Edison delos Angeles