CAPITOL distributed yesterday goods to fire victims in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia met with Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes at the fire area with the fire victims around them.
Garcia brought 100 boxes of sardines, 25 boxes of meat loaf, 25 boxes of corned beef, 60 boxes of noodles, 100 sacks of rice and 200 mats.
She is also considering giving financial assistance to the victims but she is deciding on the amount based on the assessment of the Provincial Social Welfare Service Officer Marivic Garces and Mandaue City Social Welfare Service Chief Violeta Cavada.
In her brief speech, Garcia said there is no politics in the distribution of goods. She brought with her running mate Glenn Anthony Soco.
Garcia and Cortes belong to different political parties, the former being the head of One Cebu and the latter, a member of the Liberal Party.
Meanwhile, the Mandaue City Council declared Sitio Aroma, which was hit by the fire, under a state of calamity.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) declared P2 million in damage and Social Worker Ana Dualos of the Mandaue City Social Welfare Services said 652 families were left homeless.
The City Council, in mass motion, adopted the City Disaster Council resolution, declaring the place a calamity area.
Winds fanned the flames that destroyed shanties across Pilipinas Makro Inc., Monday afternoon.
Yesterday’s duty fire investigator, FO3 Cipriano Codilla, said he has yet to investigate Daisy Padronia, as the fire reportedly started from her two story house.
Codilla said Padronia, a vendor in the nearby North Bus Terminal, was not at home when the fire started at 2:15 p.m.
SFO1 Julius Lloa, for his part, reported that three persons were hurt in the fire. They were Ramon Formentera, 42, who had a huge cut on the right palm; Luciana Capuyon, who suffered second degree burns on both hands and FO1 Kenneth Dagopioso, who was off duty but still responded to the fire scene. He sustained an injury in the right foot.
Meanwhile, Garcia said she will support the move of the officials of Mandaue City on what to do with the property issue in the area.
The fire site, located across Pilipinas Makro Cebu is owned by the Tan Chan family.
However, the fire victims would not leave the area because they plan to rebuild their homes there.
“We will support whatever move because I understand that there are property issues here,” Garcia told reporters.
Meanwhile, the governor would not comment on Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s statement on the overpayment of the Cebu International Convention Center and the mayor’s revelation that there will be a bigger convention center at the South Road Properties.
The governor said she would rather prioritize giving aids to fire victims than to waste her time on something childish.
“I have more Cebuanos and more important things that should be given more attention than to deal with a ‘he said, she said’ dialogue, which is non-productive,” said Garcia.
Meanwhile, there was also no politics involved in the visit of former Pampanga governor Mark Lapid to Gov. Garcia’s office yesterday even if his father is running for reelection in the Senate, Lapid said.
The younger Lapid claimed that his visit was in relation to his position as general manager of the Philippine Tourism Authority. (JGA/OCP)