A drone shot of the property in Barangay 27, Bacolod City, occupied by 290 families whose houses were razed by fire before dawn on Sept. 12.*Greg Gasataya FB page photo
Mayor Greg Gasataya said on Monday, Sept. 22, that the Bacolod City government is working with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to seek a presidential proclamation to acquire the government land occupied by informal settlers displaced by a recent fire in Brgy 27.
The letter is addressed to DHSUD, which will coordinate with the Office of the President. “A process has to be followed when it comes to properties of the national government, which will be utilized by the local government,” Gasataya said at a press conference.
The 7,787-square-meter property is the area occupied by 290 families in Purok Acacia I, Cheriza I, and Cheriza IIin Brgy 27, who lost their homes to a blaze just before dawn on Sept. 12.
A copy of the transfer certificate of title obtained by the city government showed that the land belongs to the Philippine Alien Property Administration, a United States government agency terminated in 1951.
Gasataya said the DHSUD will also coordinate with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which keeps the inventories of patrimonial properties, public and government lands, proclamations, and reservations, among others.
“After which, they will make the necessary recommendations to the President (Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) for the issuance of a presidential proclamation. Our assessment is that, if all the papers are in order, we are hoping for a fast response time from the Office of the President,” he added.
The mayor said the city government will provide a total of PHP2.865 million in financial assistance to the 290 affected families.
The 141 families with totally damaged or destroyed houses will receive PHP15,000 each, and the lone household with a partially damaged structure, PHP10,000.
Each family of 148 renters and sharers will get PHP5,000.
Gasataya said the DHSUD will also extend financial assistance of almost PHP4.3 million to families with totally and partially damaged houses only.
“That will be released by the national government through the DHSUD. This is aside from the assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other concerned government agencies,” he added.*PNA