Seventy-nine families have already lost their homes in Barangay Dinginan, Roxas City, but 13 households refuse to leave, challenging the local government’s claim over land being cleared for a P17-million slaughterhouse rehabilitation and road project.
The residents argue the lot had been passed down by their ancestors and originally donated to them by former landowner Benjie Arches.
In an interview with Brigada News FM on Wednesday, September 24, resident Sandy Fuentes said they later learned the City Government had purchased the property, but insisted they will only leave once officials present the deed of sale.
City officials countered that they already hold documents proving the city’s rightful ownership.
Earlier, residents asked the city to provide each family with an 80-square-meter lot and P50,000 in financial aid. The city reduced the offer to P40,000 and drafted an agreement, but the arrangement was not carried out.
City spokesperson Melvin Galagate said the contested land forms part of the P17-million Double A slaughterhouse rehabilitation funded by the Department of Agriculture through the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP).
He explained that one of the requirements to implement the project is to clear the land of settlers, which the city has been negotiating for almost two years.
Galagate added that the city has offered the remaining 14 families a 54-square-meter lots in various city-owned areas, along with financial assistance.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.