BACOLOD City is currently at the forefront in terms of development and progress, however, not all are happy about it.
Several residents along the bank of Lupit River lose their homes to pave way for the widening project of the bridge.
Early this week, the City Legal Office (CLO)-Enforcement Team demolished some 25 houses of the informal settlers who had been living under the Lupit Bridge for more than three decades.
The families lamented that the city government should have ensured first their relocation site before their houses were demolished.
Bacolod City Acting Mayor El Cid Familiaran has ordered the enforcement team to temporarily stop the demolition of houses.
This is because the affected families appeared before the City Council on Wednesday during their regular session.
They appealed to the members of the August body to give them one week to vacate the area.
The vice mayor explained the affected families were earlier told that they will be given a relocation site at Abada Escay which will be facilitated by the Bacolod Housing Authority (BHA).
There’s a catch though, the informal settlers have to comply certain requirements to determine if they are qualified to avail the relocation site.
There are reports that some of the affected families are already an awardee of the comprehensive agrarian reform program, which would disqualify them to avail the relocation site.
In every cause, there’s an effect. In the end, the state of people should always come first. No matter what.