Businessmen in Cebu City, Mandaue lose properties in fire

Two Cebu businessmen had the misfortune of being hit by fires, one at home and the other at a factory early yesterday morning.

In barangay San Nicolas proper in Cebu City, about P375,000 worth of properties were destroyed in a fire that hit a two-storey building owned by businessman John Go in the corner of B. Arañas and Figueroa Streets at 7:55 a.m. yesterday.

Arson investigator Lowel Opolentisima said the fire started shortly after power was restored in the building following a brownout.

The building’s first floor used to house Go’s office while his family lived on the second floor. Go, who refused to be interviewed, is said to be in the noodle manufacturing and trading business.

Chief Insp. William Tacaldo, fire marshal of the Cebu City Fire Department, said the fire was put out minutes after they received the call at past 7 a.m. He said employees tried to put out the fire with fire extinguishers to no avail.

Yesterday’s fire was the second to hit Cebu City this week. The day before, a fire displaced 50 families in barangay Camputhaw.

In barangay Tabok, Mandaue City, about P2.5 million worth of property was lost in a that fire broke out at the warehouse owned by Cermatex Manufacturing Corp. at past 2 a.m.

Security guard Romy Solijon called the Mandaue City Fire Station after he noticed flames spreading through the rubber scraps dumped beside one of the warehouses of the company owned by businessman Joseph Yu.

Fire trucks from nearby cities and towns arrived to help put out the fire at the warehouse which wasn’t near any homes. It took firefighters two hours to put out the fire.

Company manager Albert Sy said some of their equipment were burned, which would delay their production. Solijon said the security guard denied seeing anyone throw anything at the scrap rubber to set it on fire.

SFO1 Cipriano Codilla, fire investigator, said the cause of the fire is still under investigation./Correspondents Chito Aragon and Norman V. Mendoza