BARANGAY Sambag 2 in Cebu City declared a state of calamity following the seven-hour fire that engulfed Sitios Kalubihan, Riverside and Brupa on Monday afternoon, April 8, 2024.
The fire ravaged the vicinity of the Tuberculosis Pavilion, affecting 94 houses and displacing 669 residents, leaving them homeless.
Authorities pegged the damage at P7,500,000.
Barangay Captain Keith Noel Wenceslao confirmed the situation in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Tuesday morning, April 9.
The number of affected residents surpassed initial estimates released by the Cebu City Fire Station (CCFS) shortly after the incident.
“The numbers could actually go up further since we are validating more reports for the aid distribution to the victims,” he said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Wenceslao said they met with the barangay council in the afternoon to place the barangay under a state of calamity, so they could access emergency funds and resources to assist residents with their recovery and help rehabilitation efforts.
Victims’ plea
Wenceslao said all affected residents, or 231 families, are currently housed at the City Central National High School along Osmeña Blvd.
He said they will not be allowed to return to the fire scene to rebuild their homes, as the area will undergo reblocking.
According to a Cebu City News and Information report, Mayor Michael Rama said he wants the entire area at the back of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center reblocked, and he “does not want concerned departments to delay it.”
Rama and city officials discussed plans to help the victims Monday night.
Rushed home
The mayor immediately went home when he heard the news about the fire, which took place near his house along B. Rodriguez St., allowing him to assess the situation on the ground.
Antonio Isobal, 54, from Sitio Kalubihan, is seeking assistance from the City Government to rebuild his house. He said his family was able to save only a few articles of clothing.
“We hope that there will be monetary assistance that will be given to us to help us start once again because our situation is really hard,” he said.
Isobal’s mother-in-law Alicia Jayoma, 64, a stroke survivor, is hoping to get a folding bed where she can rest, as she is currently confined to a wheelchair.
Assistance
Portia Basmayor, head of the City’s Department of Social Welfare Services, said they have evacuated all the victims to the school and will provide them with three meals a day for the first three days.
She said they will distribute disaster kits containing a banig or woven mat, a pail and hygiene kits. Each affected individual will receive five kilograms of rice and canned goods.
She said families are entitled to cash assistance and housing materials, or 10 galvanized iron sheets and 10 pieces of plywood, from the City Government.
Owners of destroyed or damaged houses will receive P20,000; sharers and renters will receive P10,000; absentee owners or house owners who do not live in the area will receive P5,000.
Based on the initial data, the fire destroyed 89 houses and damaged five. Among the victims were 62 renters, 37 sharers and 39 lodgers.
Basmayor said the City Health Department is on standby to respond to any health concerns.
Meanwhile, Wenceslao said that they are maximizing the use of the available electric fans inside the classrooms to help the evacuees cool down admit the heat.
Fire incident
According to the fire authority’s report, the fire started at 3:57 p.m. It was raised to first alarm at 3:59 p.m., second alarm at 4:16 p.m. and third alarm at 4:23 p.m. It was declared under control by 5:01 p.m.
The CCFS declared the situation under control at 8:22 p.m., and declared fire out at 10:16 p.m.
Three individuals were injured, including two women aged 22 and 26 who had difficulty breathing, and a 46-year-old man who had a laceration on his left middle finger.
The fire authority has yet to come up with a final report, but it is looking at an electrical problem involving a defective air-conditioner as the cause of the fire.
Firefighters had a hard time getting to the scene because of the narrow roads, which is why it took seven hours to put out the fire.