Displaced Balubad residents agree to relocation in Magalang
ANGELES CITY — Some 530 households, comprising 2,000 families from Sitio Balubad, Barangay Anunas, have agreed to be relocated to San Ildefonso, Magalang town, where they will each receive a 50-square-meter lot under the city government’s socialized housing project, led by Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr.
Councilor Atty. Arvin “Pogs” Suller, Officer-in-Charge of the Angeles City Human Settlements and Urban Development Office (ACHSUD), facilitated a meeting with the affected families on October 4, 2024, on behalf of Mayor Lazatin to discuss their relocation options.
“Upon Mayor Lazatin’s instructions, we presented the homeowners-beneficiaries with three choices — expropriation proceedings or relocation to Barangay Mining or Magalang town. After a majority vote, they chose the Magalang property for their new community,” Suller shared.
Suller further explained that while the initial plan was to allocate 45 square meters per beneficiary, Mayor Lazatin expanded it to 50 square meters at the residents’ request.
“Sa katunayan po, the original plan was 45 square meters per household, but it was adjusted to 50 square meters upon the request of our beneficiaries to Mayor Lazatin,” Suller added.
Homeowners’ Acting President Mary Joy Paragas expressed the residents’ approval of the relocation plan, saying, “We are grateful to Mayor Lazatin for considering our request and providing us with a better option. Buo po ang aming suporta para sa proyektong relokasyon na ito na magsisilbing bagong panimula po para sa aming lahat.”
The ACHSUD has already begun mapping and tagging the tenants to ensure a smooth and safe relocation for the displaced families.
This relocation effort follows the passage of resolutions by the Angeles City Council, led by Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting, on October 17, 2023, which authorized Mayor Lazatin to initiate expropriation proceedings or purchase parcels of land at Sitio Balubad, Barangay Anunas, for the city’s socialized housing project.
“Gaya po ng pangako ko, walang bibitaw, hindi ako bibitaw, hindi ko kayo iiwan,” Mayor Lazatin reaffirmed to the beneficiaries.
