Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said one of the major reasons why the city purchased the Arao property in Brgy. Vista Alegre, Bacolod City is that they wanted to relocate the people living in areas identified as danger zones.

However, Leonardia said, many of them are not receptive to being moved out and the city is trying to convince them to transfer to the relocation site it is providing.

“They must understand that flood cannot be predicted and the banks of the rivers are always the first to be affected,” he said.

The Bacolod City Legal Office served notices to vacate on Friday to 354 informal settlers whose structures are located in such danger zones of the city, citing the latest tragedy that hit several places in the country recently.

Most of these structures are found within the downtown area of Bacolod.

CLO-Composite Enforcement Unit head, Cesar Beloria, said they had been sending notices since 2011 yet to these informal settlers living near rivers and creeks in Bacolod that have been identified as danger zones, to remind them to process their documents with the Bacolod Housing Authority to avail of a relocation site.

This is a reiteration of the previous notices they have sent, he said.

Beloria identified the areas as danger zones are Barangays Banago, 1, 9, 10, 11, 12. The biggest area covers Baranagy 10 up to 12, he said.

The illegal structures surveyed by the Bacolod Housing Authority are located in Mambuloc Creek in Barangays 8 and 9, and Maupay Creek in Brgy. 14. Others are in Purok Lampirong in Brgy. 2, and Purok Saylan in Brgy 4.

Beloria said these informal settlers should process their papers for relocation site now because, if worse comes to worst, the city may implement forced evacuation and provide them temporary shelters.

In an interview over ABS CBN Some residents of Brgy.8 said they are willing to relocate as long as the relocation site is ready, while some want to remain in their present structures claiming their livelihood will be affected.*CGS

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