‘A place to stay for Christmas’

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas

“ALLOW us to stay until after Christmas.”
This was the plea of the 32 families in Barangay Mabolo whose houses are scheduled to be demolished by the Cebu City Government today.

The families, who are all members of the Nursery Urban Poor Association (Nurpa), hope to spend Christmas and welcome the New Year in a City-owned property that, they said, had been their home for more than five years.

The City recently issued a notice to vacate to the 32 families occupying some 1,000-sq.m. lot near the Cebu City Abattoir at the North Reclamation Area. It sits near the 3.3-ha. Block 27 of the City.
The notice says the families only have until today to stay on the subject property, adding that the City already intends to use it. The house of those who refuse to vacate will be demolished by the City.
Jocelyn Lamore, 54, said though that it would greatly affect them if the City pushed through with its plan to evict them.

“Wa man miy kwarta. Aha man miy ipatukod balik sa among balay unya pasko na? Katuluon gyud among luha maghunahuna,” she told Sun.Star Cebu in an interview yesterday.

Appeal
Lamore, who has no permanent job, appealed to Mayor Michael Rama not to evict them yet, saying she doesn’t want her family to spend Christmas without a roof over their head.

Lamore, who is living with her two children, said they are ready to leave the City-
owned property after the holiday.

Lamore is originally from San Fernando and has been living in the city for many years already following the death of her husband Consorcio.

Hopes
In a separate interview, Cristine Quiamco, 29, echoed the sentiment of Lamore, saying that she has been living in the area for at least six years already.

“Mosugot lang unta ang Syudad nga papuy-on mi diri taman pasko kay wa gyud miy laing kapaingnan (We hope the City allows us to stay until Christmas because we have nowhere else to go),” she said.

Like Lamore, Quiamco also doesn’t have a permanent job and is raising three children.
Both Lamore and Quiamco, though, acknowledge the fact that they didn’t have the permission from the City when they decided to live on the City-owned property.

The Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor already told the 32 families that a relocation site is being prepared for them at La Guerta in Barangay Lahug.

Source: Cebu Sun Star