CEBU CITY, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay Wednesday met with representatives of the 4,000 informal settlers in Cebu City to thresh out issues involving their residency and their prospective relocation sites.

Binay, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), called for the meeting, together with city and provincial officials, to discuss possible solutions to the “issues that have long derailed the implementation of Presidential Proclamation (PP) 409 and Provincial Ordinance No. 93-1.”

Binay said he is concerned of the welfare for the informal settlers that he decided to call for the meeting following the visit of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia at his office in Manila.

As of press time Wednesday, the public consultation was still on going as Binay stressed he also wanted to get the sentiments of the settlers themselves so his office can come up with better solution to the problem hounding the Cebu City residents.

“The entire problem will not be solved unless we meet you in person and talk to you. I am also appealing that you help us solve this issue,” said Binay as he addressed the informal settlers at the Sacred Heart Center in Cebu City on Wednesday.

The vice president said he also wants to discuss the mayor’s proposal to use the City’s Poverty Alleviation Fund-3 for the construction of medium-rise residential buildings in coastal areas.

Although some high-ranking officials from HUDCC already met with City and Capitol officials during their previous visits to Cebu, this is the first time that Binay has called for a meeting here to personally talk to the officials and the affected residents.

Rama earlier proposed a partnership between the City Government and the Provincial Government in giving relocation sites to the informal settlers around the city. Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said the province is more than ready to offer its assistance. She however suggested that an inventory should be conducted to determine the exact number of informal settlers.

“As regards to the possibility of the province extending assistance to the city, you know we have a lot of properties here in Cebu City and should the city need a relocation site, the province would be more than willing to offer a portion of our properties here,” Garcia earlier said.

Garcia said she has earlier extensively discussed with Binay the various housing campaign of the Office of the Vice President, specially in giving opportunities for the Filipinos, including those who are unemployed and those who belong to the urban poor, to own a house.

The office of Binay, she said, has been following up for the meeting that will discuss the partnership of the city and province in providing housing assistance to the informal settlers of the city.

Rama's interest in a housing project arose after Mahiga Creek residents filed criminal and administrative charges against him before the Ombudsman for demolishing at least 35 shanties without giving cash aid or a relocation site.

“These people already work here. They have their children who go to school here,” Rama said, in talking favorably about a housing project.