DEMOLITION IN CICC CONTINUES DESPITE COMMOTION

A demolition team from the Mandaue City Government showed up for work at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) compound yesterday, where hundreds of families who survived a fire in March last year have been staying. They tore down the temporary homes that 48 persons had put up, and didn’t let a commotion stop them. The team’s leader, Cesar Ylanan, said that some of the families blocked the demolition crew’s truck and kept slamming the vehicle. Tony Pet Juanico, chief of the City Housing Urban and Development Office, said that the families had asked his office to put off the demolition until May 3. At least 657 occupants, however, will be allowed to stay on the CICC grounds until they can rebuild their houses.→

A commotion took place inside the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) compound yesterday morning when the demolition team of the Mandaue City Government was about to dismantle the structures set up there by fire victims.

This didn’t stop the demolition team from tearing down the structures owned by the 48 individuals.

The City Housing Urban and Development Office (HUDO) started the clearing of the shanties in the CICC, a Cebu Province-owned facility, after fire victims stayed there for more than a year already.

A huge fire hit Barangays Mantuyong and Guizo in March last year, leaving thousands of families homeless.

“Pahawanan na man namo ang CICC (We are now slowly clearing the CICC),” said HUDO Chief Tony Pet Juanico.

HUDO first started with the structures owned by families that were previously living near creeks and in a private lot before the fire happened.

Juanico said they were given a notice to vacate before the clearing operation, but the structure owners requested HUDO to demolish their houses on May 3.

He said HUDO was even delayed for two days.

Cesar Ylanan, head of the clearing team, said the families blocked the truck carrying the demolition team when it entered the CICC. The fire victims also kept slamming the vehicle. They also started surrounding Ylanan.

The families calmed down after the clearing team explained to them the purpose of the demolition.

Juanico said they will still allow 657 occupants to continue staying on the CICC grounds until they can rebuild their houses.

He said they have tapped the help of the Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation, a non-government organization, so that families that were not included in the list of beneficiaries and fire victims who originally stayed near creeks and in private lots can be given a relocation site.