THE Iloilo City Government will give financial assistance to families of the two casualties of the fire incident in Barangay San Nicolas, La Paz over the weekend.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said, if possible, he wants to maximize the assistance to be given up to P100,000.
He noted that the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) is currently getting in touch with the families.
“I condole with the families of the victims. The City Government will give financial assistance for their burial. Assistance is presently being provided by the CSWDO. Once again, I condole with the families of the deceased,” Treñas said.
He emphasized that the city will help although the victims were only temporary residents (boarders) and not voters of the city.
“Mabulig kita kay ti diri natabu. It is our moral responsibility to give support,” he said.
The two fire victims who got trapped and killed by fire in the boarding house were identified as 26-year-old call center agent Lynrose Sobretodo of Pototan, Iloilo and 21-year-old Renz David Aguilar, a third year Engineering student from Concepcion, also in Iloilo province.
As per Iloilo City Operations Center, the fire incident displaced 11 families composed of 150 individuals including transient residents or boarders. The CSWDO already distributed relief goods to them.
Five (all boarding houses) of the seven structures affected were totally damaged while two (one boarding house and one residential house) were damaged.
The fire, with estimated damage amounting to P2.1 million, broke out around 4:15 p.m., and was declared fire out at 5:24 p.m. Cause of fire is still under investigation.
“We will try to do everything that we can to ensure that will not happen again,” the mayor said.
Meanwhile, Treñas called on everyone to be on alert for any possibility of fire.
“Due to the warm temperature and the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, there is always the possibility of fires occurring,” he said.
He has also given instruction to the Boarding House Commission (BHC) that all boarding houses should be continuously inspected to ensure the safety of everyone.
The mayor met the BHC to discuss and address the issue involving boarding houses.
“We have been ordering the closure of several boarding houses because of violations, waay kita nagapabaya but unfortunately natabo gid, very sad,” he added.
Treñas said if violations are confirmed, erring boarding houses will face closure.
As to the liability for the death of the boarders, Treñas said, “sa aton law, ang maka file kaso sa ila amo ang natungdan, indi ako so they will be responsible for the death and ti atubangon na nila nalisdan nga mga ginikanan.” (PR)