RESIDENTS of Arroyo Compound in Barangay Matina Crossing, Davao City, had already begun self-demolishing their homes before the demolition team arrived on Friday morning, February 27, 2026.
Some were seen carrying their clothes, cabinets, and pieces of their homes, trying to salvage what they could, while others carried their pets to safety. In their effort to save their belongings, some placed their things along McArthur Highway, while others used the vacant space of a gasoline station.
Hundreds of personnel from the demolition team dismantled homes at Upper Arroyo Compound, where numerous houses once stood.
Self-demolition
Jessel Restauro Baguio, a resident of Lower Arroyo for 11 years, told SunStar Davao that she had already self-demolished one of the two houses she owns. She said that after demolishing the first one, she was set to demolish the other so they could sell the parts and use the money to start anew.
“Kaganinang buntag lang gyud kay naa paman gyud mi salig na unta tabangan mi sa gobyerno kay dili lang mao ni ang isa ka higayon na panagbisog, kapila na ka-beses pero nganong wala man gitugutan sa langit,” she said.
(Earlier this morning, we were still holding on to hope that the government would help us. This isn’t the first time we’ve struggled—it has happened many times already. But why is it that heaven hasn’t allowed it.)
Baguio said that she still does not have any plans on how she will start over, but she hopes they will be able to rise again from this.
Sobieda Mangadlao Gomez, a resident of Lower Arroyo for three years, said that she had already self-demolished her house the night before, citing her disappointment because she had just finished the second-level construction of the house.
“Pero dili giingon na nag-volunteer nalang ko, pero nag-volunteer ko nga akong kagustuhan akoang gubaon, dili lalim mangitag kwarta (But I’m not saying that I just volunteered casually — I volunteered because I wanted to. I was the one who let myself be ruined. It’s not easy to earn money),” she said.
Meanwhile, Sandy Paspie, president of the Saint Benedict Neighborhood Association, said that she had already gone to the barangay to confirm the number of houses that would be demolished. However, there was no confirmation on whether Lower Arroyo Compound would be included in the demolition, as explained to her.
“Ang coverage from Mercury Drug to diri sa pathway, buot pasabot istriton nako ang pathway dira, pero wala ko nag-ingon sa inyoha na wala tay apil (The coverage is from Mercury Drug up to here at the pathway, meaning this pathway straight up to there. But I’m not saying we will not be included),” she said.
Relocation area for residents
As demolitions were underway, Ariel Maranon, a representative of the Lui Family, who owns the land at Arroyo Compound, said they are willing to assess if there are remaining lots in the relocation sites for the remaining residents.
“Kung naa pa mga bakanteng lote unya i-evaluate namo ang mga necessary nga tagaan, pero kung naa pa mga bakanteng lote dira nga pwede mabutangan willing man ang Lui family po,” he said in a media interview on February 26, 2026, in Barangay Tacunan, Davao City, where the relocation site is located.
(If there are still vacant lots, then we will evaluate who really needs to be given one. And if there are vacant lots there where houses can be built, the Lui family is willing to provide them.)
Maranon said that the only thing they are preparing right now is the deed of donation that will be given to the residents of the relocation site. They plan to schedule the distribution of the deed of donation within the year so that the relocation site will be officially endorsed to the community.
Maranon revealed that the relocation sites in Dacudao and Talomo River have proper connections to water and electricity, citing that the Tacunan site is the only relocation area that still needs assistance.
He said that the relocation program has been an initiative of the Lui Family since 2019 and that they have already provided three relocation sites, namely: Talomo River with 300 households, Tacunan with 500 houses, and Dacudao in Calinan with 150 to 200 households.
At Tacunan Phases 1 and 2, the number of residents who erected their houses is more or less 500, but those who availed of the relocation are more than 700 individuals.
He said that the current residents of the relocation area are those who voluntarily demolished their houses in Arroyo Compound and relocated to Tacunan.
Meanwhile, Christopher Masayon, president of the Virginia Ang Lui Homeowners Association, said that they are grateful for their choice to relocate, citing that they are now able to have their own piece of land. He said that around 700 households are in the Tacunan relocation site and have been staying in the area for five years.
Masayon said that each family was given P20,000 in cash assistance and a piece of land measuring 80 square meters.
“Ang mga tao akoa silang gi-encourage na ngano dili man ta mamalhin na tinarong man ang ilaha, muhatag man sila’g assistance sa atoa, tapos ihatag nila ang tinuod na relocation sa atoa (I encouraged the people, asking them why we shouldn’t relocate. They’re doing things properly, they’re giving us assistance, and they will provide us with a legitimate relocation site),” he said.
Arlana Bahinting-Duay, one of the residents who relocated, said that they understand that if they stayed, they would not have documents to prove that they are indeed allowed to remain in the area.
“So wala mi nagmagahi, naa man gi-offer ang mga Lui na kaayuhan na gitagaan me ug P20,000 tapos 80 square meter na luna, among gidawat (So we were not being stubborn. The Lui family offered something beneficial—they gave us P20,000 and an 80-square-meter lot, and we accepted it),” she said.
Although Masayon admitted that it was hard at first, considering that the relocation site is 30 to 45 minutes away from their previous residence at Arroyo Compound and the place did not have proper connections to Davao Light and the Davao City Water District, they believe that this will be settled at the end of the day. RGP