CEBU CITY -- The Inayawan Sanitary landfill settlers, who have been evacuated to a nearby school, said on Saturday that they are still uncertain where they will be moved again following reports that they have to leave the school to give way for the school opening preparation.
Mayor Michael Rama said on Friday that he wanted the more than 20 families of Sitio Dumping Site in Barangay Inayawan to be out of Inayawan Elementary School before classes start in June. [Read the related story here.]
"We were only given 24 hours to evacuate and we were not ready," said Maret Mahilum, a resident of Sitio Dumping Site for 35 years.
Mahilum, a mother of two, said scavenging is her family's only source of income.
Earlier this week, the Cebu City Government ordered an immediate evacuation of the landfill settlers due to threats that piles of garbage could cause a landslide.
The Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor and the barangay are preparing for the site where the families would be permanently placed.
Mahilum said she is hoping that they will be moved to the relocation site that the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council is preparing for them.
Barangay officials identified a 2.1-hectare property owned by Ana Abangan in Sitio San Isidro Labrador as relocation site for the affected residents. (Ojharra Catherine Manlosa, Pia Noreen Bilar/CNU Communication Arts interns)