200 families homeless

Two massive fires nearly two hours apart of each other leveled communities in barangays Basak Pardo and Carreta, Cebu City, destroying almost P10 million worth of properties, Saturday night.

The first fire broke out in Lower Carreta, Sitio Kalapukan, Carreta, with the fire department receiving the alarm at 9:56 p.m.

The third alarm fire, with razed a residential area, reducing to ashes properties worth P4.5 million, was declared under control at 10:30 p.m. and  fire out  10:58 p.m.

In particular, the fire burned 60 houses and partially burned six, displacing 90 families comprising around 400 individuals.

The fire victims are currently sheltered at Carreta Elementary School, where they also received assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)- 7. Forty-one fire trucks responded to the incident.

While the firemen were still dousing the embers of the Carreta fire, another one broke out in the south district, with the fire department receiving the alarm at 11: 33 p.m.

The massive fire engulfed a residential area in Sitio Kanipaan Jansen Site, Brgy. Basak Pardo, causing an estimated P5.2-million destruction and injuring one person.

Authorities identified the person as Criestel Mae Barrientos, 21, who suffered a small laceration on the left portion of her forehead.

The fire burned down 90 houses and damaged five, affecting 95 households and leaving 120 families comprising 420 individuals homeless.

Like the Carreta fire, the Basak Pardo blaze was placed under third alarm but took longer to battle, with the fire department declaring a  fire out  only after four hours.

The fire victims are currently evacuated at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Arnold Janssen but would soon be transferred to the Basak Community Elementary School.

Basak Pardo officials and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) members pleaded for donations such as food and water, clothing and blankets, medicines and medical supplies, and hygiene kits, among others.

DSWD aid

Among the firsts to respond was the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-7 Quick Response Team which, along with the staff of the Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD), readily gave assistance to the affected families of two fire incidents.

DSWD-7 Assistant Regional Director for Administration Tonyson Luther S. Lee and DRMD Division Chief Lilibeth Cabiara led the charge in doing the rounds immediately after the opening of evacuation camps.

Lee and Cabiara s team checked the situation of the evacuees and provided an assessment for the provision of immediate relief goods. Lee said they immediately provided hot meals and water to the affected families.

Another team led by Assistant Regional Director Juanito C. Cantero and Disaster Response Section Head Hazel Dinah Miel, on the other hand, provided technical assistance to local government unit (LGU) staff in camp management and operations and  Family Assistance Card in Emergencies and Disasters  form administration.

Disaster Core Group Specialist Grace I. Yana also led the deployment of the City Action team and staff trained on evacuation site management as well as protection of the victims.

The DSWD personnel also helped the City Government in providing technical assistance and relaying needed data to the regional field office.

Disaster fund still to be approved

Basak Pardo Brgy. Capt. Dave Tumulak, on the other hand, confirmed that City Hall already started providing food items to the victims.

He said they would solely rely on the City Government in assisting his constituents because the barangay cannot yet tap its own funds since its 2024 annual budget is still unapproved.

 Ang previous (barangay) administration dunay mga problema, dunay mga unsubmitted documents to the City Government for four years since 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. So ang kining new set of officials sa atong barangay, wala tay nagamit nga funds as of the moment kay gi-hold (ang Basak Pardo annual budget) sa atong (City) Accounting (Office),  Tumulak said.

He said not even a  penny  had been downloaded to the barangay fund yet pending submission of the requested documents.

 Mao bitaw ng nahiubos ko pag-ayo kay og dunay sala ang previous administration, how come kami nga newly-elected officials, kami ang nag-suffer and the whole barangay, especially nowadays nga dunay calamity,  Tumulak said. (CEBU NEWS)