Families choose to live on ‘edge’
-A A +AThursday, October 21, 2010
SOME 13 households in Lapu-Lapu City stood their ground on the edge of a 50-meter cliff, refusing to budge despite the City Government’s order to vacate.
Marlyn Baoy was washing clothes at the height of rains last Tuesday afternoon in their kitchen when the floor beside her dropped 50 meters down the cliff, while a 30-foot balete tree fell. She immediately grabbed her six-year-old grandson and got out of the house.
Marlyn and Felix Baoy’s kitchen collapsed while big rocks and dirt rammed the walls of neighbor Arnel and Irene Linao’s house, which is at the foot of the balete tree, in Sitio Semento Barangay Pusok that afternoon.
Order
That same day, Mayor Paz Radaza ordered 92 individuals from these 13 families living in an area owned by Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) to vacate immediately as they were in serious risk. Though some briefly spent their Tuesday night with their small kids in their relatives’ houses nearby, they returned the next day with their children.
The families were firm and said they will only vacate their place if there will be a better place, “Kung naay tarong nga kabalhinan (If there’s a good place to relocate).”
The city will be providing assistance through the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), said Lapu-Lapu City PIO Eric Monsanto.
“Mayor Radaza is continuously looking for a solution for the benefit and satisfaction of all those concerned,” said Monsanto.
Relocation
Meantime, the city is eyeing the barangay’s covered court, under Marcelo Fernan Bridge, as their temporary shelter, while the City is looking for a site for them. But nobody went there.
Affected residents were busy yesterday putting up an electric post, to replace three fallen ones that cut off their power supply since Tuesday afternoon.
The houses lined the cliff’s edge. Some parts of their houses, including Baoy’s kitchen before it collapsed, were sticking over the edge of the cliff.
The area bordered the Pusok Firing Range with houses teeming at the edges.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 21, 2010.
Local news
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