4 Iloilo villages to be placed under state of calamity

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

ILOILO CITY -- Four barangays here are to be placed under a state of calamity after a fire destroyed over 400 houses and displaced about 400 families on Sunday.

The four barangays are Tanza-Timawa Zone 2, Malipayon, Tanza-Esperanza, and Mabolo-Delgado, all located near the city's main commercial center.

Firefighters battled for six hours the inferno that started at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, the same day Iloilo City celebrated its Dinagyang Festival.

City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said close to 400 families are still in three evacuation centers as most of them have lost their belongings to the blaze.

The declaration of the state of calamity will allow officials of the affected barangays to use their respective calamity funds, Department of Interior and Local Government city director Ferdinand Panes said over Bombo Radyo.

Mabilog said the City Government will continue to provide assistance to the families. Help in the form of cash and goods were also pouring in since Monday from several concerned citizens. (Sunnex)