Twenty-five houses in Poblacion District I were dismantled by the Housing Division of the local government on August 11 after the demolition notice given to the residents became long overdue.
Engineer Charmaine Trocino, Project Development Officer II of the Housing Division, said the LGU had long given residents the chance to voluntarily dismantle their houses but this was not carried out.
In April 2024, a dialogue was held led by Mayor Cesareo Benedito, during which the residents promised to vacate the area before December 2024 after requesting an extension to prepare for relocation. This, however, did not push through.
“Years na ang palugit sa kanila then June 24 ang binigay na notice ulit sa kanila na demolition kaya lang nagkaroon tayo ng weather problem kaya di ito natuloy at naiskedyol ito ng August 11 kung kaya’t nag dismantling po tayo,” Trocino said.
A relocation site in Barangay Tubtub has long been prepared for the affected families by the local government, along with cash assistance to help them buy materials for building their new homes.
“Ang problema kasi ay may mga pamilya na bumalik ulit dito sa area dahil umano ay nandito ang kanilang hanapbuhay sa pangingisda,” she explained.
Trocino added that several pre-demolition conferences and dialogues were conducted with the affected families, in partnership with the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor and the LGU of Brooke’s Point, to prepare them for local development projects in the area, including the Fort Miller Restoration in Sitio Buligay, District 1.
Aside from this, the Housing Division classified the houses as being in a “danger zone” as they were located along the shoreline.
Trocino admitted there could be tension during the demolition, particularly with families insisting on staying, but said the dismantling committee, along with the police, barangay, and other agencies, was ready to ensure the operation would proceed smoothly.
“Aasahan natin yon na may ganitong tensyon sakali pero handa naman tayo sa dismantling committee, all documents ready naman tayo para makita nila na legal ang ating demolition,” she added.
