Gawad Kalinga breaks ground for socialized housing in old Lorega cemetery

SIX more medium-rise buildings will soon be constructed on top of the Lorega-San Miguel Cemetery, an official said.

Councilor Alvin Dizon said the cemetery will house a total of seven buildings in order to accommodate all the families currently living inside the facility.


Dizon, however, said the additional buildings will be constructed depending on the availability of funds.

Gawad Kalinga broke ground on the first of the seven buildings yesterday, along with representatives from the City Government, Rep. Rachel del Mar (Cebu City, north district) Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Action for Nurturing Children and Environment (ANCE).

“I hope you will take care of these houses. Take good care of what we worked hard to give to you,” del Mar said.

She represented her father, former congressman Raul del Mar, who gave P10 million from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for the P13-million socialized housing project.
The remaining P3 million will be shouldered by the City and several non-government organizations.

The construction of the first building, which will accommodate 60 families, will start in February and will be completed after six months.

“And we hope that before we finish the building, we shall have rounded up additional funds for the next building,” said Jerome Awit of Gawad Kalinga. GK is theimplementing agency of the socialized housing project at Lorega cemetery.

But while the development of the housing project is underway, the Kamansi Lawis San Roque Phantom Association (Kalasapa) from Lorega wrote the City Council to express their sentiments.
In their letter, the group asked the City to conduct a case study to assess theeffectivity of the project, give the building and lot for free and to ask the beneficiaries to pay only building maintenance fees and issue a certificate of occupancy.

They also want to allow burial in areas within the cemetery that will not be affected by the project.

But Dizon, in his report for the committee on housing, said the assessment of the project can only be done once the building is constructed.

Dizon also said the rental housing scheme cannot be waived.

“The rental housing scheme pertains to the use of the land owned by the City where the building is located,” he said.

The councilor assured though that rent will be affordable.

Dizon reiterated that burials are now prohibited since these will violate the Sanitation Code and pose a threat to public health.

Dizon said that Kalasapa organization and its members are not directly affected by the project.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 23, 2011.