Affected families in Luz now at 588; calamity status set

She found her rusty cabinet key, but it was all for naught for 77-year-old Elpidia Cartilla.

Cartilla lost her cabinet and most of her clothes in last Friday afternoon’s fire that razed nearly 300 houses and left her and 588 families homeless in four sitios of barangay Luz, Cebu City.

“I looked hard for this key because my cabinet was full of clothes. I managed to get some of the clothes and placed it in a plastic bag but it was torn when I ran. Some of the clothes I passed to a person I didn’t know,” she said.

City social workers said the affected families stayed in tents set up by Cebu City Hall at the covered basketball court and Barangay Luz Elementary School. Portable toilets were provided for their use.

The barangay Luz council convened late last Friday afternoon to declare the area under calamity status.

The declaration will pave the way for the City Council to allocate funds for relief assistance.

Barangay Luz Captain Christopher Tante said the declaration of calamity status meant the barangay council can allocate P600,000 from its calamity fund for use in rehabilitating the four fire-ravaged sitios.

In an interview, Cartilla said she frantically searched for one of her grandchildren who played computer games nearby after hearing neighbors scream that a fire broke out in their area in sitio Sto. Niño.

At noon yesterday, Cartilla slouched on the bare ground at a shaded corner of the Barrio Luz Elementary School while waiting for her daughters who lined up for food provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS).

She recalled her feeling of hopelessness after seeing the fire spread from her house to another. Cartilla said she was thankful that no one was hurt among her family.

“You cannot compare possessions and life. Help will arrive in time. Someone gave me clothes this morning, the ones I’m wearing now,” said Cartilla.

Her family of her three kids and two grandchildren were among the hundreds of evacuees cramped in the elementary school’s classrooms and covered court.

Cartilla, who worked as a fish vendor, said she instructed her son to guard their burnt house to protect it from thieves who want to sell the remaining usable materials.

She said she lived on the backyard on the chapel of Señor Santo Niño, the barangay’s patron saint.

Despite the tragedy, Cartilla said she will continue to sell fish to construction workers and other patrons.

“Let’s wait for help. Let us trust in the Lord,” she added. City social workers said the food being provided for the affected families will only cover three days. Water food and portable toilets are priorities, they said.

Reps. Tomas Osmeña and Rachel del Mar of Cebu City’s south and north district respectively donated cash and food assistance to the families.

Osmeña, the former city mayor, said he also asked private firms to extend assistance.

Tante said they are appealing for assistance from the private sector.

He said donations are accepted 24 hours a day at the barangay hall, the elementary school grounds and a drop station at Fuente Osmeña.

Ernie Adnrino, a barangay worker and Gabag Sa Mamayan Action Center (GMAC) officer, said most of the houses catered to mall employees. With Correspondents Chito Aragon, Edison delos Angeles and Jessa Chrisna Marie J. Agua