Tomas pays for Block 27’s water

AFTER the Cebu City Government cut their water supply, the Mahiga Creek families who are housed at the City-owned Block 27 spend almost P2,000 a day to buy water for their household use.

Each of the 26 families who have been displaced by the City’s demolition of illegal structures along Mahiga Creek is spending P50 or more a day to buy water for drinking, bathing and washing.

Shelling out P50 a day for water is already an additional financial burden to the families who only earn an average of P150 per day.

Rodet Veloso, 38, said she only earns P160 in her small vulcanizing shop in Barangay Mabolo.

She has nine children to feed, six of whom are in school.

“Wa na gyuy mabilin sa amo. Dako na kaayo nang P50 para tubig, ipalit na lang unta namo na og pagkaon (Nothing’s left of my income. The P50 could have been spent on food),” she told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.

Marielou Pablo, 38, said she earns only P100 a day from selling eggs. She said the amount is not even enough to meet their daily needs. She has two children.

The Mahiga Creek families believe the City should not have cut their water and instead should allow them to continuing paying for it.

Since they were temporarily relocated to Block 27 in May last year, the City shouldered the water bills of the Mahiga Creek settlers.

The families had already said they cannot move out just yet, considering that the relocation site in Barangay Budlaan promised to them by the City is not yet ready.

The City cut the water supply of Block 27 last Thursday. The power supply is said to be cut next so the families will start leaving the property.

Mayor Michael Rama had wanted the families to move out of the property on June 30 yet because they have been overstaying there.

The absence of a relocation site, however, hindered the mayor’s plan.

Yesterday, Councilor Alvin Dizon and Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district) visited the Mahiga Creek families.

Osmeña shouldered the water expenses of the families for the day by giving them P2,000.

Osmeña also called Leo Pacana of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) to ask that the Mahiga settlers be supplied with water temporarily.

Meanwhile, the City Council wants the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) to appear before them in an executive session as they want to know what it intends to do with the P78-million fund that the National Housing Authority (NHA) released to the City.

The amount which was released to the City last year yet is intended for resettlement projects, specifically for informal settlers who occupy creeks, esteros and waterways.