Fire victims get aid in Muntinlupa
By Julie M. Aurelio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:49:00 08/26/2008
Filed Under: Fire
MANILA, Philippines—The Muntinlupa City council has passed an ordinance extending financial aid to 24 families and victims whose houses were razed by a fire at the New Bilibid Prison reservation two weeks ago.
Under City Ordinance 08-052, around P155,000 will be appropriated to the families and other victims of the August 13 fire, which killed a teenage girl and injured two others.
“The fund will help the families to start again. Besides this, we have already provided them assistance on the evacuation, feeding and health assistance,” Mayor Aldrin San Pedro said.
The hour-long blaze allegedly began at the house of a certain Toto Vicente on Magdaong Drive at the NBP reservation at 8:40 a.m. on August 13.
It took five fire trucks to put out the fire and a 17-year-old girl, Rea de Mesa, died in the fire. De Mesa was reportedly a special child. Two others, Alfredo Lombre and Morita Equibel, suffered minor injuries.
At least 16 houses were damaged along Magdaong Drive in the NBP reservation, in the village of Poblacion.
To facilitate the release of funds for rehabilitation efforts, the Muntinlupa City council recently passed a resolution declaring a state of calamity in the affected area, upon the recommendation of the city’s social welfare and development office.
Arson investigators pegged the initial damage estimate at P500,000.
San Pedro said the 16 house owners would receive P6,000 each in assistance, while three renters would get P4,000 each.
Five other house sharers will be receiving P3,000 in financial aid.
San Pedro added that the De Mesa family would get P20,000 to help them start anew, while the two injured victims would receive P6,000 each. The mayor earlier ordered the SWDO to provide social and financial aid to the victims.
The hour-long blaze came just an hour after weary firemen put out a 60-hour blaze at the Baclaran Terminal Plaza Mall in Pasay City, which destroyed P20 million worth of clothes and other merchandise.
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