STO. TOMAS -- The Municipal Government will hold a dialogue with illegal settlers who have been occupying portions of the Sto. Tomas-Minalin tail dike.

Mayor Joselito Naguit, in an interview Thursday, said that he has already sent an invitation to some 60 families who have put-up houses along the stretch of the Sto. Tomas- Minalin tail dike, which serves as the two town's last line of defense against massive flooding, in order to come up with a "win-win solution" to the issue.

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Naguit said the LGU here is very much concerned not only about the safety of the illegal settlers but also the lives and properties of his constituents here who will be greatly affected if the tail dike is damaged.

He said that many, if not all the illegal settlers, have put up permanent structures like houses made of concrete and wood on top of the tail dike, making them prone to danger in the event of gushing flood water coming from upstream or mountainous areas.

"Kapakanan po ng mga taga Sto. Tomas at Minalin ang nakataya dito. Bagamat naiintindihan po natin ang sitwasyon ng mga nag squat dito sa tail dike, ay dapat isa alang alang din po natin ang kapakanan ng mga nakararaming mga kababayan natin dito," Naguit said.

The mayor said that he expects to meet with the illegal settlers within this week in order to map-out the problems and possible solutions, adding that the LGU with its meager resources is also willing to provide assistance as long as it corresponds to the law.

"Kahit na maliit lamang po ang budget ng munisipyo ay tutulong naman po tayo kahit konti lang sa mga illegal settlers, basta naaayon po ito sa batas. Sa katunayan po ay dinatnan na natin ang mga ito sa nakaraang administrasyon, pero dahil ngayon po ay mukhang lumalala ang problema kaya agad po tayong umaksyon dito," he said.

Naguit added that he would also coordinate with Mayor Edgar Flores of Minalin as well as other mayors who have a stake at the said tail dike, which stretches from City of San Fernando, Bacolor, Guagua, Sto. Tomas and Minalin.

Earlier, Mayor Flores wrote the officials of the Mount Pinatubo Emergency-Project Management Office regarding the existence of illegal settlers at the tail dike.

However, officials of the said government agency said that the LGU should be the one to address the problem.

Flores said that in a MOA signed by concerned LGU with the MPE-PMO, the tail dike would be jointly monitored and maintained by them, meaning that it is a group effort and not solely the responsibility of the LGU.