Hipodromo fire victims to start rebuilding soon

After over a month since a massive fire hit Barangay Hipodromo in Cebu City, fire victims may already start rebuilding their houses this month.

Division for the Welfare of Urban Poor (DWUP) Head Genevieve Alcoseba said each of the 100 families affected by the fire will get 24-square meter home lots by the end of November.

“We plan to award the home lots to affected families this month. After the awarding of home lots, they can rebuild their houses,” she said.

On September 27, a fire razed 121 houses in Barangay Hipodromo leaving at least 287 families or 1,250 individuals homeless.

Part of the fire-stricken area is the Ortega property in Sitio Cahipa, which is over 2,000 square meters. The city will restore the six-meter road in the area and will implement the re-blocking to ensure accessibility during emergencies.

Alcoseba said the city has already expropriated the property several years ago with the initial plan to construct a five-story building wherein a public market will be established on the first floor and the rest of the floors will be allocated for residential purposes.

But the current administration yielded to the request of Hipodromo officials to award the home lots to affected families instead. The initial plan is to let the families pay P312,000 for the 24 square meter home lot. These families will be given 15 years to settle the amount.

Alcoseba said Hipodromo Barangay Captain Ruperto Bacolod is still negotiating with the owner of another private property where over 30 home lots are located for these properties to be purchased by the fire victims.

As of yesterday, Alcoseba said the fire-stricken area has been cleared from structures after the fire. She said there are areas that needed filling materials to level the grounds.

Once the rebuilding starts, Alcoseba said the city will coordinate with the Visayan Electric Company and Metropolitan Cebu Water District for the electricity and water supply. The Department of Engineering and Public Works is also working on the drainage in the area.