Group wants demolitions of 30K households stopped

Urban poor communities facing demolition in Metro Cebu got the support of religious organizations that formed the Cebu Solidarity with the Urban Poor.

In a statement, the solidarity called for more dialog between local government units and urban poor communities facing demolition.

It said, more than 30,000 household face demolition in Metro Cebu.

In particular, the solidarity supports the cause of 32 households in sitios Lubi, Nangka and Mabuhay in barangay Luz to stop a court ordered demolition that may happen anytime this month.

Cebu city councilor Nida Cabrera, a former barangay captain of barangay Luz expressed willingness to dialogue with the families that are facing demolition even as she laments the selectiveness of the solidarity in supporting the cause of the poor.

She asked the sectarian group “to also hear the side of more than 400 households who painstakingly waited to pay in full their homelots through the Community Mortgage Program (CMP).”

Cabrera is one of the beneficiaries of the CMP. Under the CMP, beneficiaries can avail of long term loans with maximum amortization period of 25 years.

“On Wednesday, there will be a second set of public hearing, so the parties will be heard one at a time because there’s a process to be followed,” said Cabrera.

The families facing demolition have differences with other barangay Luz homeowners associations including the Nangka Homeowners Association where Cabrera is also president over the implementation of the CMP way back in 1995.

Last Sept. 6, the families which grouped under the Barangay Luz Urban Poor Fraternal Organization (Blupfo) filed before the Ombudsman in the Visayas a complaint for syndicated and professional squatting against the urban poor leader-turned city councilor.

Also included in the case is Diosdada Martinez, president of the Mabuhay Homeowners Association.

Alvin Dizon, council’s committee chair on housing will be the mediator of the executive session for the 32 affected households in barangay Luz.

The group supporting the cause of the 32 households was formed during the birthday of Mary last Sept. 8, is composed of 24 organizations and communities in Cebu. Tweeny M. Malinao, Correspondent