Tejero fire prompts Cebu City to revisit plan to build medium-rise housing project

Local

A DEVASTATING fire that displaced nearly 250 families in Barangay Tejero over the weekend may finally push Cebu City to pursue a long-discussed medium-rise housing project for residents living in densely populated and fire-prone communities.

Mayor Nestor Archival on Monday, May 18, said the city government is considering developing medium-rise buildings (MRBs) in Sitio Silangan if the property affected by Saturday night’s third-alarm fire is confirmed to be government-owned.

Archival said the city has ordered an immediate verification of land ownership in the area after reports that portions of the community may already have been acquired and fenced off by private institutions.

“We want to know who owns the property. If it belongs to the government, the best thing we could do is site development or build MRBs,” Archival said during a press conference at City Hall.

The fire in Sitio Silangan, Barangay Tejero, affected at least 247 families or 945 individuals after flames tore through more than 120 houses on Saturday evening, May 16.

The blaze, which reached third alarm status within minutes, left families homeless and highlighted long-standing concerns over congestion, narrow access roads, and fire hazards in informal settlements.

Archival said one of the major problems encountered during firefighting operations was the presence of fenced structures that blocked access to interior portions of the community.

He said several areas along the main road had been fenced, preventing fire trucks and responders from entering quickly.

“Naa gyud portions sa main street nga gi-koral. Wala kaagi ang mga bombero,” Archival said.

He added that one firefighter was reportedly injured after stepping on a nail from one of the fenced areas.

The mayor said he had directed the Department of Working Urban Poor (DWUP) and the City Legal Office to inspect the area and determine why fences had been erected, including some allegedly extending into drainage easements owned by the government.

He said the city would also examine whether property owners violated rules on public access and right-of-way.

“If the property already belongs to private owners, then the City Legal Office will determine whether they are still required to provide right-of-way access for residents and emergency responders,” he said.

Furthermore, Archival said plans for reblocking or reorganizing the community would largely depend on the ownership status of the land.

He noted that portions of Sitio Silangan appeared to have already been fenced from the frontage area toward the interior, suggesting that some parcels may have been sold to private institutions.

“We don’t really know if reblocking is possible because there are private institutions that reportedly fenced the area. But if the property belongs to the government, then reblocking can be considered,” he said.

The mayor’s statement echoed earlier calls from Barangay Tejero officials for long-term housing solutions in the area following repeated fire incidents.

Tejero Barangay Captain Harold Seno previously said Sitio Silangan and nearby sitios remain highly vulnerable because of overcrowded housing conditions and closely packed structures made of light materials.

Seno said the latest blaze was already the third major fire incident recorded in the barangay since the start of 2026.

He also backed proposals to construct vertical housing projects similar to MRBs to permanently relocate informal settlers from high-risk communities.

Meanwhile, Archival also raised concern over the condition of evacuees currently staying at the gymnasium of Tejero Elementary School.

He said the evacuation center had become overcrowded after displaced families from two gymnasiums were consolidated into one site.

The mayor said the city was now negotiating for the possible use of an unused building across the Tejero Barangay Hall to ease congestion inside the evacuation center.

“We may also consider a tent city setup because the area is too cramped and people could get sick,” he said.

The city government has continued distributing relief goods and hot meals to affected residents while validation and documentation of internally displaced persons continue.

Archival said he had also requested that the affected area be placed under a state of calamity to expedite the release of additional assistance.

According to the Cebu City Fire Station, the fire started at around 6:58 p.m. Saturday at a house reportedly owned by Edwin “Loloy” Gomela and occupied by Esterlita Gomela.

The fire escalated to a third alarm by 7:08 p.m. before authorities declared it under control at 8:19 p.m.

Authorities estimated the damage at P2.25 million. No injuries or fatalities were reported.

Investigators have yet to determine the exact cause of the fire.

Some residents reportedly claimed they heard a disturbance involving a couple shortly before the blaze erupted, though barangay officials emphasized that these accounts remain unverified and are not part of the official findings of investigators.(TGP)