CAGAYAN de Oro City administrator Dionnie Gersana said the city needs more time to relocate more than 200 families that will be displaced in the three villages once the writ of demolition takes effect on October 30.
Gersana said the city is asking for more time to look for relocation sites as all relocation sites in the city, like those located in villages Canitoan, Pagatpat, Indahag, Balubal, and Camaman-an have reached full capacity.
The city is still searching for possible relocation sites that could house some 200 families seen to be displaced in villages Balubal, 31 and 36.
At least 20 families will be left homeless in Balubal, 140 families in Village 31, and 69 families in Village 36.
"Malangan pa lage kay puno na gayud atong relocation sites, timing sad ma-extend sa March siguro by that time, daghan nata ma-establish na additional locations, magpalit pa ta ug dugang na yuta," Gersana said.
The City Council has passed a resolution asking two courts here to postpone the looming demolition and instead implement it on March 2017, which marks the end of classes.
City Councilor Zaldy Ocon said they are asking for an extension while the City Government is still searching for possible relocation sites for the hundreds of families that will be affected once it will be implemented.
The resolution is addressed to Judge Eleuteria Algodon of Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 2 and Judge Gil Bollozos of Regional Trial Court Branch 21.
"It's not simple kay kung muingon man gane ka ug relocation, dili man na pasabot nga ibalhin nimo sila nga walay kuryente ug walay tubig, bag-o man na nga mandate sa gobyerno nga stable gyud dapat ilang kabalhinan, because they are going to live there naman,(It's not simple, when you say relocation site, it doesn't mean you can directly transfer them even without electricity and water. The government has newly mandated that the relocation should be stable)" Gersana said.
"Dili mahimo nga walay relocation, shelter is a primary concern. But it's a process, naa pay profiling, validation para masigurado nga they really are residents gayud diha. And it's a long process," Gersana added.
Ocon noted that there are a handful of people who offered their property to the City Government, most of which are located in Lumbia village.
"There is no need to worry about the availability of potential sites, kay daghan naman nag-offer ug titulo ug yuta sa ato, gusto nila ipapalit ang ilang yuta and could be made into a relocation site, so dili ta mabalaka whether or not naa bay site," Gersana said.
This is however not the first time, particularly for Barangay 31, that the residents asked the city council's help to suspend the writ of demolition.
The City Government also asked for more time from Judge Algodon last June 2016.
Meanwhile, the repeated postponement of the demolition irked the residents more, rather than feel relieved.
Panfine Vergara-Balaba, who has been living in Barangay 31 for at least three decades now, said she has already demolished parts of her house.
"Actually, I have already demolished parts of my house as a voluntary compliance to the demolition order. However, as they keep on postponing it, we are not now sure what to do. All we can do now is to wait if those people from the city can give us relocation sites," Vergara-Balaba said.
Abel Mordeno, 27, said they are now confused with the changing schedule of the demolition.
"We have been informed of the demolition a long time ago however, nothing happened so we continue living here since it is not clear if they will transfer us to relocation site. I am not really sure why we are being asked to demolish our houses but the demolition dates are always cancelled so some people here stopped caring about it," Mordeno said.
