Seven families who are about to lose their homes to a Cebu City government ordered-demolition sought the help of the the Ombudsman-Visayas recently.

The anti-graft office served as mediator between residents of sitio Laguerta, barangay Lahug and City Hall representatives.

The residents want the city government to reconsider a decision to relocate them to another city-owned lot in barangay Lahug.

Graft Investigator Rose Tongco mediated on behalf of Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago who is out of town.

Though the relocation area is just a few meters away from their present homes, residents said they want to avoid the inconvenience of starting all over in a new area.

The city government allowed the seven households to build their houses in a city-owned lot in 2005.

The families used to live along structures built at Pier 6 in Cebu City but the Local Housing Board of Cebu City decided to relocate them to accommodate other people whom the city allowed to enter their property.

Edmund del Porto of the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor of the city said the residents have to build their homes in an area intended for them.

He said the residents were allowed to temporarily build their homes in their present location.

But now that there are other residents who are entitled to build structures in the area, the seven households should leave the area.

The households instead asked the city government to allow them to stay put and to request new occupants to build their homes in the relocation site instead.

They also ask the Local Housing Board to reconsider its decision to relocate them. Tongco said the Ombudsman?s office wanted to help resolve the conflict.

She said del Porto promised to do all he could to address the concerns of the residents.

The residents will submit a motion for reconsideration to the Local Housing Board soon.