Fire victims worry about their future, looters
Worries about where to stay and how to keep thieves from robbing their belongings occupy the minds of many Punta Princesa fire victims who remain housed at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Gym.
At least 1,526 persons stay in the temporary shelter after a big fire hit four sitios in Punta Princesa last Wednesday.
Jinky Labutos, a 42-year-old single mother, said her children stopped going to school since all their supplies went up in flames.
Labutos said her family had been renting the lot where they lived and she cannot pay for it after the fire ate all their belongings.
Another resident, Liezel Cañete, has the same problem.
“How can my children go back to school when they no longer have things to use?” she said in Cebuano.
While they are fed meals by the Department of Social Welfare Services (DSWS) and barangay officials, they can hardly sleep due to the noise outside the gym.
Some victims own lots and their only problem is how to rebuild their homes.
Pablo Cañete, a dust pan maker, said he is willing to accept any housing material just so he can slowly rebuild his house for his grandchildren.
Carmen Adrake, 48, said she only managed to recover her refrigerator.
She said they started uncovering metal scraps that they could sell to earn money.
At least 332 families registered to receive assistance at the sports center but a few of them preferred to return to the fire site to guard their lots.
They said they will just build “makeshift houses” for them to stay in at the area.
Social welfare officials said owners whose houses were totally burned down will receive 10 galvanized iron (GI) sheets and 10 compact boards. Those with partially burned houses will be given five GI sheets and five compact boards.
Kitchen utensils, used clothing and food rations of three kilos of rice and two bags of canned goods donated by private and government organizations will be distributed tomorrow.
Punta Princesa barangay captain Jose Navaro said a health center and a Philippine Red Cross booth in the complex are available to attend to the displaced residents.
In Leon Kilat Street, an appliance center owner said money in their vault was missing.
Chili Tita Cabatingan, one of the owners of Wilkins Appliance Trading Center, said only their cashier knew the amount.
That incident is the fifth to occur in two weeks in Cebu, following the fires that hit barangays Tejero, Mambaling, Punta Princesa and Urgelio.
Damage in the Leon Kilat Street fire was pegged at P750,000. The fire broke out at 10:44 p.m. and ended at 10:59 p.m.
Mayor Michael Rama said they will conduct reblocking and expanding narrow, fire-prone areas deemed inaccessible by the City Fire Department to allow firefighters to enter the site. With Reporter Marian Z. Codilla
