State of calamity declared in Orion, Bataan after fire razed 600 houses

ORION, BATAAN —— Orion Mayor Antonio Raymundo said the town council has authorized him to declare a state of calamity after a fire razed 600 houses Tuesday.

He said this would allow for the disbursement of appropriations from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction fund for relief and rehabilitation operations and other expenses.

On Wednesday, residents found the charred body of a missing fisherman in a Tuesday morning fire here at 6:35 a.m. on Wednesday, police said.

Rey Suson, 45, of the same village, was seen rushing back to his burning house to get his personal belongings but failed to return, his neighbors said.

There are 1,018 families or 6,131 individuals who are temporarily allowed to stay at the Capunitan Elementary School.

“Some families were taken in by their relatives in the same village,” Raymundo said.

Most of the residents are fishermen from Masbate and Cebu who have settled in the area since 2001.

“But the number of [informal settlers] grew even more in 2010 and up to now,” Raymundo said. Greg Refraccion/lzb