REGARDLESS of whether they be Sendong survivors or not, Cagayan de Oro City Hall will give due consideration to those families applying for socialized housing in the city, Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy said.

“It cannot be denied that there are still families who survived (tropical storm) Sendong but were not given housing for now. But I have second thoughts on believing their claims that they were Sendong survivors because I require proof that they have the card issued by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and signed by their barangay captains attesting to their status as Sendong survivors,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.

During his radio program ‘Ang Inyong Alagad: Mayor Klarex Uy’ last Friday, Mayor Uy said the card also indicated whether they received previous assistance from government agencies.

“These families who asked for housing were unable to provide such cards but I took consideration of their request because they asked me for aid,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.

Applications for socialized housing are addressed to the City Housing Urban Development Department. Mayor Uy attended last Friday’s 11th-year commemoration of the Sendong tragedy which claimed over 1,000 lives in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.

CONTINUING REMINDER. Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy prepares to light candles at the Sendong Memorial Wall after attending a special Mass for the event. CIO photo by Rod Constantino

Mayor Uy said the Sendong tragedy serves as a continuing reminder to every city resident to always be prepared in order to survive calamities.

“As a barangay captain at the time, I recall asking the families living near the creeks to evacuate but some refused and when the floods came, it was too unfortunately too late,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.

Acting as an ‘incident commander’ at the barangay hall, Mayor Uy said he called on the barangay personnel to recover the remains of those found in the streets for burial.

“I also asked the barangay health workers and barangay nutrition scholars to organize community kitchens in every evacuation site…the Sendong tragedy should capacitance barangays (into being prepared for any eventuality),” Mayor Uy said in Visayan. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)