THE Bangsamoro's Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) launched relief operations for the families displaced in a fire late Tuesday, February 3, 2026, in Lamion village, Bongao, the capital town of Tawi-Tawi.
The MSSD said it distributed relief kits, established a community kitchen, emergency procurement of essential goods, and conducted profiling for cash assistance programs under Emergency Shelter Assistance and Bangsamoro Critical Assistance in Response to Emergency Situations (BCares).
Bangsamoro Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (READi) also deployed personnel to conduct Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) to determine the extent of damage and identify the immediate needs of affected families.
"Efforts focus on relief operations, rapid needs assessments, and the timely delivery of assistance to affected families," the MSSD said in a statement Wednesday, February 4.
Some 1,000 houses on stilts were razed in the fire that broke out at 10:09 p.m. Tuesday, February 3, in Lamion village, based on the reports of the Bongao Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO).
The Bongao MDRRMO said the fire, fanned by strong winds, rapidly spread, engulfing the houses on stilts mostly made of light materials.
The Bongao Central Fire Station declared fire-out around 2 a.m. Wednesday, February 4.
Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua expressed his deepest sympathy to the families displaced by the four-hour fire.
Macacua assured the affected families that the regional government remains fully engage in the response and recovery efforts.
"Even in grief, we remain united as one community. We draw strength from one another and uphold our shared responsibility to help our people recover, rebuild, and move forward with dignity," Macacua said in a statement. (SunStar Zamboanga)