Residents of Galaxy Compound in Brgy. Maguikay, Mandaue City in Cebu vow resistance against the continuing demolition of their houses by Profood International Corporation, the company that produces Cebu’s famed dried mangoes. Yesterday, residents were surprised when local police force and members of a demolition team arrived at around 10:00 o’clock in the morning on September 24, 2014 and started tearing down houses.
The demolition team successfully demolished 6 houses yesterday and will be coming back today to resume and complete demolition of the remaining houses in the community.
According to the Notice of Demolition showed by Julbert Opada, Sheriff of Mandaue RTC Branch 28, the notice was released last August 1, 2014 and the 16 homeowners were given 5 days from receipt of the notice to vacate their homes.
Prior to the notice, a Special Order of Demolition was issued by the court on June 11, 2014 giving the residents 30 days to voluntarily demolish their homes.
“In the notice, they were allotted 5 days to voluntarily demolish their houses but we gave them enough time even 120 days. It’s more than enough,” said Opada.
But according to Dominador Noynay, Jr., 38 years old, who’s been living in the compound for 35 years, they did not know that their house would be demolished today since they did not receive any notice. They were aware that they have an ongoing appeal regarding the contested land.
Due Process
The contested lot in Galaxy Compound with a land area of more or less 11,553 square meters was formerly owned by Gregoria Tabayag and Vera Guevarra but was allegedly bought by Profood International Corporation in 2008.
Profood International Corporation, owned by Justin Uy produces and exports various dried fruits, preserves, concentrates and juices, including the popular dried mangos. Its plant is located in the vicinity of the Galaxy Compound.
According to Lino Bacunador, one of the residents living in the compound for more than 3 decades, they have been paying rent to the former owners until 2010. “Dapat nga kung ibinenta ang lupa, kaming nagrerenta sana ang prayoridad na pagbebentahan. Kaya nga nag-file kami ng mga kinakailangang dokumento nung kinasuhan kami, pero natalo kami. Binayaran namin ang rentang hinihingi ng korte at nag apela sa Court of Appeals. Sumunod kami sa tamang proseso, pero bakit ginaganito kami?” Bacunador said in Filipino.
(When the former owners sold the land, they should have prioritized selling the land to us that’s why we filed the necessary documents when a case was filed against us, but we were defeated. We paid the rent asked by the court, we even paid for the rent the court ordered to pay and filed an appeal in the Court of Appeals. We followed due process, but why are they doing this to us?)
“Nagbayad nga kami ng renta sa lupa hanggang 2015
Profood filed an eviction case against 29 homeowners in the Galaxy Compound. The Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 3 in Mandaue City where the eviction case was filed released its decision in favor of Profood last year on May 3 signed by Judge Wilfredo Dagatan to demolish the houses on Lot 555, pay P1,000 monthly rent since July 2012 until their houses are removed, and pay the damages of attorney’s fee and litigation expenses of the corporation. The decision was affirmed when the Regional Trial Court Branch 28 in Mandaue City dismissed the residents appeal.
Noynay said that they were being offered either a payment of P50,000 or a relocation site in Consolacion, Cebu. “We did not accept the money because our house is worth more than P50,000 and with the expensive cost of materials today, it’s not enough. We don’t want to live in Consolacion because it’s far and there’s no livelihood there and no assurance, our work is here in Mandaue, how will we be able to live there?” exclaimed Noynay.
Heartless
The compound is also temporary homes for several workers of Profood. There are many boarding houses in the compound, which also serves as a source of income for the residents.
“Walang puso para sa mga manggagawa niya ang kumpanyang ito, lalo na ngayon na wala pang sahod. Mahihirapan kami maghanap ng malilipatan (This company is heartless, especially now that we haven’t received our wages yet. It will be very difficult for us to look for another place to stay),” said a Profood worker who requested not to be named.
Many workers were forced to leave work for the day to take care of their belongings.
“May sakit ang nanay ko, makikituloy lang kami sa kapitbahay ngayong gabi pero hindi naman yun pangmatagalan. Wala kaming ibang lilipatan (My mother is sick, we’ll be staying with our neighbors for the night but that would not be permanent. We have nowhere else to go.),” said Annabel Lim, 38 years old, who lived in the compound for more than 30 years. “Mahirap maging mahirap, napakahirap banggain ang mayayaman (it’s difficult being poor and it’s tough going against the rich),” she furthered.
Alin Bacunador, 17 years old, a freshman student of the University of the Philippines Cebu, shared that it would become more difficult for her to go to school because of the additional expenses if they will be forced to move to a far town.
“I even have an exam tomorrow, but I can’t leave our home. It would be useless if I go to school today and take the exam tomorrow, but when I come home our house will not be there. I’d rather stay and defend our home,” Alin said.
Resistance
Before the day ended, residents decided to place physical barricades and hold a human barricade when the demolition team returns today to defend their homes. They plan to negotiate with the officials implementing the demolition and ask assistance from the Barangay Council and City Government to intervene.
“All of us residents need to unite, we should not let those in power trample on our rights, if we just let them destroy our homes, we will be left with nothing. We should not be bound by these legalities and technicalities because we know that this is always in favor of the rich,” Alin said in a mass meeting of residents.
