A DAVAO City Councilor revealed that he is pushing for an ordinance to establish safe and disaster-free shelters for Informal Settler Families (ISF) in danger zones.
Second District Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Jr., chair of the committee on disaster risk reduction and management, said that the city is constantly reminding the people who reside in danger zones to vacate the area.
“But the predicament is kung atoa na silang pahawaon asa nato na sila ibutang so mao na ang problema (But the predicament is that if we force them to vacate the area where would we relocate them that is the problem),” Mahipus said during the Aprubado sa Konseho, on Tuesday morning, February 6, 2024, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Mahipus shared that this is why his committee is crafting an “Ordinance Establishing a Safe, Secure, Disaster-Free Shelter Community for ISF in Danger Zones” so that “when we order to relocate them we have an area prepared for them.”
He added that the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) is already there to help people determine where the livable areas in Davao City are, but there are still some danger zones populated by people and they need to be relocated.
“This would mean that we need a place for them to be relocated na safe pod nga para sa ilaha, that is the direction that we are going (This would mean that we need a place for them to be relocated that is safe, that is the direction that we are going),” Mahipus said
Mahipus expressed that the city needs and is looking for a lot or a property that is situated in a safe area. It could be a lot that would be allocated for the people or where the mid-rise buildings would be built for them.
He also clarified that agricultural areas can be used for residential purposes and it does not need to be reclassified if the project is government-assisted.
The ordinance was approved on the first reading and is under the committee level for further deliberation. RGP