RESIDENTS of three sitios in Barangay Ermita whose houses were gutted by fire that hit three sitios back in February are asking some offices of the Cebu City Government to hasten the reblocking project in the area.
In a letter to Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, acting Ermita barangay captain Efe Rupinta is asking the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP), Office of the Building Official (OBO) and the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) to take action on their request.
Rupinta said the affected families already want to reconstruct their houses.
Rupinta also wants to schedule a meeting with DWUP, OBO and DEPW to discuss the matter.
A copy of the letter was furnished to the City Council which referred the matter to the Office of the Mayor and DWUP to take immediate action.
Last February 5, a fire struck Sitios Bato, Pig Vendor and Castilaan that destroyed more than 200 houses.
Earlier, DWUP operations chief Genevieve Alcoseba said they would implement the old reblocking plan even though the City already reblocked the area when fire struck Sitio Bato in 2013.
Alcoseba said they would strictly implement the discipline zone in the area to make sure that enough access would be provided for fire responders.
She said a six-meter interior road was part of the subdivision plan when the reblocking was done in 2013 but this was reduced to three meters due to encroachment.
Even though they have yet to go back to the area where their houses used to stand, fire survivor are occupying the unfinished Unit II building of the Carbon Public Market, which which is close to the fire scene. (RVC)