Mayor Greg Gasataya has ordered the immediate deployment of a multi-agency task force to assist seven families currently living under the Lupit Bridge in Barangay 39, Bacolod City, following heavy rains that damaged several of their makeshift homes on Thursday evening, July 30.
The task force, composed of personnel from the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), Bacolod Housing Authority (BHA), City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), City Health Office (CHO), and City Legal Office, conducted a joint onsite inspection together with barangay officials and rescue volunteers from Barangays 39 and Taculing.
Among those rescued was 60-year-old stroke patient Rolli Gonzaga, whose makeshift home was partially damaged by strong water runoff. He was immediately brought for a medical check-up as part of the city’s emergency response, a press release from the Bacolod City Communications Office said.
“Definitely, these families need to be transferred to a safer place. The City Health Office will assess their health conditions, especially the children living in the area, while the Bacolod Housing Authority will process the necessary requirements to help provide them with a safe place to live,” said Secretary to the Mayor Jose Marty Go.
Despite having difficulty speaking due to his medical condition, Gonzaga thanked the city government and barangay officials for their assistance.
His wife, Herminia Gonzaga, said that the family survives mainly through the income of their son, who drives a rented e-bike to support them and his two children.
“We have nowhere else to go, so we chose to stay here because it is close to our livelihood, especially for my grandchildren who are still in school,” she said.
Like the Gonzaga family, Ronaldo Robles, his wife, and their three children also live in a makeshift house beneath the bridge, an area considered a danger zone.
“About five years ago, my house was swept away during a storm. I was thankful that our home survived the floodwaters last night,” Robles recalled.
Their roughly 3-by-5-feet shelter is built from tarpaulins, worn plywood, old bedsheets used as walls, and bamboo posts.
Robles earns around ₱150 a day by driving a rented e-bike and occasionally collecting sandbags along the riverbanks to supplement his income.
“I just want my children to finish their education so they can have a better future and find a way out of this situation,” he said.
Records from the DSSD show that more than 20 individuals currently live beneath Lupit Bridge, including nine children between the ages of four and 14.
While relocating the families to the city’s relocation site in Barangay Vista Alegre may take time, Gasataya emphasized that families living in high-risk areas will be prioritized for rescue, assistance, and eventual transfer to safer and more permanent housing.
The city government continues to coordinate with concerned agencies to ensure that the affected families receive immediate aid while long-term relocation efforts are being finalized, the press release said.*
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