300 families homeless as fire hits depressed area in Cebu

Fire engulf Brgy Luz taken from Insular building Cebu Business Park.(CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

CEBU CITY, Philippines–At least 300 families on Friday lost their homes in a fire that destroyed over 150 houses in Barangay Luz, a densely populated urban poor area in Cebu City, the authorities said.

The fire reportedly started at around 3:13 p.m. from the house of Carmen Villegas in Sitio Sto. Niño.

It quickly spread to three other sitios–Lubi, Abellana and City Central–since most of the houses in the area were made of light materials and were built close to each other.

Barangay Luz captain Rian Tante told the Inquirer that they were checking reports that Villegas was cooking rice and left it unattended, triggering the fire.

Before the fire broke out, residents of Barangay Luz flocked to Cabantan Street in the village to watch “Juan for All, All for One,” a segment of popular noontime show, Eat Bulaga, which was being broadcast live. The segment was hosted by Wally Bayola, Jose Manalo and Paolo Ballesteros and featured singing competition and games participated in by the residents of the area.

Tante said that an hour after the Eat Bulaga crew packed up, the fire broke out in Sitio Santo Niño, about 50 meters from where the segment was held.

The firetrucks had difficulty entering the fire-stricken area since the roads in the neighborhood were narrow.

Among those destroyed in the fire was Tante’s ancestral home.

The fire victims were being temporarily housed in Barrio Luz Elementary School and Barrio Luz National High School, barangay hall and gymnasium.

Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama also ordered the City Hall department heads to report for work on Saturday and Sunday to ensure that the needs of the fire victims were attended to. With a report from Chito O. Aragon and Edison delos Angeles, Inquirer Visayas