Luz fire victims get help from VP

CEBU, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay said his office will give assistance to the victims of the fire in Barangay Luz. Binay said his office, with the support of the National Housing Authority, will give out household necessities, rice and building materials to the affected residents.

Binay learned about the incident from Mayor Michael Rama during the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the provincial government and occupants of the controversial 93-1 lots at the Cebu International Convention Center.

“Sa abot po ng aming makakaya, sa amin na madalas na ginagawa pagkainaabot po ng mga ganitong malulungkot na pangyayari, ay kami naman po ay handang tumulong. Hahabol po kami; tutulong po kami kahit na papano sa mga nasunugan po sa Barangay Luz. (What we usually do in tragic events like this is we help to our full extent. We will help, in any way we can, the victims of the fire in Brgy. Luz),” Binay said in a speech.

Mayor Michael Rama was all praises for Binay, saying the vice president is more than lip service.

In a press conference, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia also mentioned that the provincial government will be giving out goods and cash assistance to the fire victims.

Also yesterday, the City Council asked Rama to consult with the fire victims before implementing reblocking in the barangay so as not to displace residents.

The Council also placed Barangay Luz under a state of calamity so that the city can utilize its calamity funds to provide the victims financial assistance and construction materials.

The city had spent more than P5 million when it distributed P10,000 cash assistance to each of the 565 families last Monday. Close to 300 houses were razed by a fire that hit four interior sitios of Barangay Luz last Friday.

Fire fighters said they have failed to immediately put off the fire because the fire trucks encountered difficulties in passing through the access roads toward the fire scene due to illegal structures on both sides of the roads.

This prompted Rama to order a reblocking or restoration of the road size in the area before the fire victims would be allowed to reconstruct their houses.

While Councilors Alvin Dizon and Nida Cabrera are not totally against reblocking, both proposed a resolution, which was later passed by the Council, to request the mayor to consult the affected residents first.

Dizon explained that the consultation is to ensure that all the concerns of the fire victims, including that of the barangay officials, will be properly addressed.

The mayor had already said he is ready to consult with the concerned fire victims and assured that he may not compell private lot owners to give in their properties unless it is badly needed for the road right of way.

Office of the Building Official (OBO) chief Josefa Ylanan said the existing eight-meter-wide access road in Barangay Luz is already enough for fire trucks to pass through, but the problem is that the road became narrow due to illegal construction. –(FREEMAN)