Isla Verde fire victims hadn't started building houses

THE 1,860 fire victims of Isla Verde had not yet began the construction of their houses, an official said.

City Information Office (CIO) officer-in-charge and Task Force Isla Verde spokesman Leo Villareal, who was a guest in Monday's Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao, said the scenario now should be that once the victims have received their assistance, they should have returned to Isla Verde to build their houses.

"Unfortunately they have not yet started the construction of their houses because one of the reason is there are barangay officials who are saying that the victims cannot put up their houses yet because they still have to process documents," he said.

"Pero ang gikasabutan nga kung madawat nila ang entry pass dapat musugod na dayon sila (But they should have started building once they receive the entry pass as what was agreed)," Villareal said.

He, however, did not disclose who these officials were but he said they have met with the officials already to discuss the matter.

Villareal said barangay officials denied the victims' claims. The barangay officials told him that there were individuals who went around the area and told the residents they were not allowed to put up their houses yet.

He also said some structures in one hectare area of the total eight-hectare land have yet to be demolished, thus, further delaying the construction of houses.

"Kung dili to maguba dili maporma ang subdivision plan nga gi-andam sa City Housing (If those structures are not demolished, the City Housing will not be able to follow the subdivision plan)," he said.

Villareal added that owners of the structures will be given a grace period to demolish their structures, once the grace period ends they will be the ones to demolish the buildings.