ZAMBOANGA CITY, July 7 (PNA) -– The city government has set a final date to clear the Mayor Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Dr. Elmeir Apolinario, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head, said the final date to clear the sports complex is on July 16 after being deferred twice.
The sports complex served as the biggest evacuation center of IDP-families displaced by the 21-day September 2013 siege.
Apolinario, who is in charge of the temporary shelter cluster, said the sports complex was first supposed to be cleared of IDPs in May.
It was deferred to June and then later deferred again in deference to the observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Apolinario said the IDPs will most likely celebrate Eid’l Fitr or end of Ramadan on July 18 or 19 at their relocation shelters and not anymore at the sports complex.
Apolinario said they have already informed the IDPs that there will be no more extension “because it is affecting our timeline for the rehabilitation of the sports complex.”
“The recovery shelters are already prepared for them, there is no reason why they should not transfer,” he added.
He said that 200 families that are still staying at the sports complex will be transferred to the Masepla Transitory Site in Barangay Mampang and Barangay Kasanyangan.
He said they received a letter last Friday from Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman telling them the sports complex must already be closed “to move back to normalcy.” (PNA)