362 families homeless after San Roque fire

CEBU, Philippines - At least 362 families were left homeless by the fire that razed Palma Street, Barangay San Roque, Cebu City Friday.

With this, Department of Social Welfare Services and the Cebu City Risk Reduction Management Council provided food, water and shelter to more than 1,000 affected individuals.

The victims were relocated to two separate evacuation centers. Some 288 families are being housed in San Roque Sports Complex and another 74 families in Tinago Sports Complex.

Packed meals and bottled water are distributed thrice a day to the victims, including infants and senior citizens.

Portable toilets were also provided for the victims.

Barangay Captain Joel Garganera of Tinago said they are cooperating with the city government as to the giving of food and water to evacuees. He said the barangay council had let their water tanks be borrowed to supply enough water to the victims.

Most of the victims used portions of boxes as their mats especially for infants who need comfort in sleeping.

Trixie Ornopia, 18, a mother of a two-month-old baby and a one-year-old child, said it is difficult for her to have her two kids in such situation because they need a more comfortable place to avoid any illnesses.

The youngest victim recorded was the one week old infant of Kerchel Barcebal and Gypsy Onrubia.

Teresa Manco, 82, was lying down on her small mat, fanning herself when the FREEMAN queried about her situation.

“Sa akong katigulang, lisod na kaayo magpuyo og init kaayo nga lugar ug sa gabii sab bugnaw kay wala na intawn naanad atong hinay nga lawas,” said Manco.

Some victims like Jose Pitogo, 62, were still in their area in Palma Street watching over their left out properties like water machines and furniture which cannot be brought to the evacuation sites.

Most of the victims hope that they could still go back and build up a house in the area considering the lot was government-owned.

‘BE WATCHFUL’

Meanwhile, Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella yesterday urged the public to be more watchful after at least five major fire incidents were reported in Cebu since the start of August.

Labella, acting mayor, said the public should be vigilant nowadays especially that the city is now experiencing hot temperature.

“Although this is not a fire prevention month, dapat more watchful and careful ta karon. Unplug all appliances nga not in use and when leaving home (kay) init ang panahon ug kusog ang hangin,” he said.

Last August 1, four houses were burned down while three others were damaged when a fire struck Barangay Pasil, Cebu City. And earlier this August a fire also broke in barangays Banawa and Guadalupe, but was not able to raze plenty houses because of the immediate response of the Bureau of Fire Protection.

Last Friday, two fires consecutively hit in an urban area, including the one that hit Palma Street, Barangay San Roque where hundreds of families were affected and the other which razed a warehouse of People’s Educational Supply along Pacaña Street in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City.

Labella said that more than a thousand individuals were affected by different fires. With this, he advised fire survivors to cooperate with the city government for their relocation sites.

“Some families (San Roque fire victims) man gud dili gyod moadto sa evacuation area kay mahadlok biyaan ilang mga balay,” he said.

Labella said that re-blocking should be done for the area in Barangay San Roque since firefighters had hard time penetrating the area because there were no passageways.

“Mao man gyod na ang directive sa atong mayor (Michael Rama) nga no one should be displaced, so ato gyod ni silang i-assess ug i-evaluate para matagaan og luna,” he said.

He instructed Metro Cebu Water District to install water tanks for the fire survivors.

“Naa sad representative sa DOH (Department of Health) para mo-check sa atong fire victims. Naa’y CITOM para mo-man sa traffic ug police officers for the security of the area to prevent looters,” he added. — Jean Marvette A. Demecillo and Samuelle Joyrin C. Caing, USJ-R Masscomm Intern/JMD (FREEMAN)