Each of the 42 households devastated by fire in Barangay Lahug in Cebu City received good news, one on top of the other.
Aside from extending to them financial assistance worth P10,000 each, the Cebu Provincial Government, which owns the lots where they had built their houses, also assured them that they may return to their areas in Sitio San Vicente and rebuild their homes.
In a meeting at the Capitol that was also attended by Cebu City Mayor Raymond Garcia, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia even told the occupants that they may even avail of the housing loan facility provided by Pag-Ibig Fund for occupants of lots owned by Cebu Province in the city, such as the 93-1 Properties and the OPRRA properties, among others.
“Ang atong pag-anhi diri mora tag nakadaug og lotto tungod kay atong gianhi diri nga makabalik pa ta. Pero unsa pagka-unsaa nga ang gi-offer sa Gobernador nato dili lang nga makabalik ta, makapanag-iya pa gyod ta sa luna,” Mayor Garcia said during the meeting on March 25.
It was in February 27 that a fire hit Sitio San Vicente in Lahug, displacing the said households and interrupting their lives. Since then, they have been living in constant fear that they might not be allowed to rebuild their houses in the said Capitol-owned lots.
Such fear was appeased by the Governor’s offer for them to purchase their lots from the Capitol through a lone facility with Pag-Ibig Fund. As Pag-Ibig Fund pays the Capitol up front for the lots’ fair market value, the occupants will be paying their monthly amortization to Pag-Ibig which has more liberal paying terms of up to 30 years.
“Emotional ko kay tungod blessed kaayo ko,” Donna Marie Carmichael, one of the occupants, told 𝗦𝘂𝗴𝗯𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀.
“We really did not expect nga ingon ani ang result kay ganina ra god me 3 PM nakuyawan, dili ba me pabalikon or i-relocate ba me? It’s really scary pero thank God and thanks ni Gov,” she added.
The P10,000 assistance will not be given to them in cash as they might spend such public funds not for the intended purpose.
Instead, the amount will be contained in quick-response or QR-coded cards which they will use in redeeming pre-approved items, such as groceries or housing materials, from the Capitol’s partner stores. | BJR