Sitio hit by fire placed under calamity status

The Mandaue City Council will declare today sitio San Lorenzo of barangay Jagobiao under state of calamity after a fire hit the area last Monday noon.

This way, the city government can release its calamity funds in extending help to the victims.

City Social Welfare Services (CSWS) Chief Violeta Cavada said they have listed a total of 271 victims—132 are house owners while 139 are either renters or sharers.

The house owners will receive P10,000 cash assistance while the renters and sharers will each receive P5,000 from the city government.

Most of the victims are temporarily staying in the Jagobiao National High School.

However, they have to move out after a week to prevent disruption of classes. The school will be holding its third periodic exam by that time.

Barangay captain Maria Edita Montesa is coordinating with Eversley Child Sanitarium to allow the fire victims to stay in their four vacant cottages and gymnasium.

But some of the victims chose to put up makeshift shelters on the spot where their house used to stand because they want to keep the things they were able to salvage safe.

Sharlewin Diaz, 11, a student of Consolacion Elementary School skipped classes yesterday because he lost his uniform.  He also helped his family sell scrap materials from the fire.

“I hope someone can donate a uniform for me so I can go back to school,” Diaz said in Cebuano.

The CSWS will continue to supply food to the victims until today.

Rep. Luigi Quisumbing of the 6th district of Cebu also distributed food packs and blankets to the affected families.

No one was reported hurt or killed during the fire last Monday but it gutted an estimated P2-million worth of properties.

The victims cannot rebuild their houses unless they have barangay clearance and certification from the barangay hall that they are registered voters there.

“We need to make sure that those who can rebuild their houses are really residents of the area and not just a renter,” Ambos said.

In a related development, the Mandaue city government will  purchase six breathing apparatus for the fire department.

This was agreed during the meeting of the Risk Reduction and Management Council yesterday.

Mayor Jonas Cortes said they will also buy two standby vehicles for the CSWS that can be used in the immediate distribution of food to victims of calamities.