Couple killed in Labangon fire a day after pilgrimage to Simala

Eduardo Miego and his wife Margarita on Tuesday went to the Monastery of the Holy Eucharist in barangay Simala in Sibonga town in southern Cebu to offer prayers to the Blessed Virgin.

The next day, they perished in a fire that razed 21 houses in barangay Labangon in Cebu City.

The couple’s remains were found in the rubble of their house along A. Lopez Street. Their bedroom was beside the living room where the fire started at 1:27 a.m, according to FO3 Antonio Gonzales of the Cebu City Fire Station.

The fire was declared “under control” after almost an hour.

Damage to property was estimated to reach P800,000.

Victor Buendia, Labangon barangay captain, said the couple’s daughter, Jolly Ann Dionson, her husband Dante and their 5-year-old daughter were able to flee the burning house through a fire exit on the balcony.

In her account to the authorities, Jolly said she woke up when her daughter asked for milk, but on her way downstairs, she was greeted by thick smoke from the ground floor.

She alerted her husband, who carried their daughter, and the three managed to get out of the house.

Jolly Ann and her husband then asked their neighbors to rescue her parents, who were still trapped inside the house. But by then, the fire had already spread throughout the ground floor.

“Nahadlok na gyud ang mga tawo mosungasong sa kayo unya diha pa gyuy Multicab diha sa gawas. Nahadlok silang mo-ulbo unya (No one dared to go charge into the flames as there was a Multicab van parked infront. The people were hesistant as they were fearful that the van might explode.),” barangay captain Buendia said.

Arson investigators are still determining the cause of the fire, but the barangay captain said it might have been triggered by an electrical short circuit.

The 60-year-old Edgardo was a retired employee of San Miguel Corporation was partially paralyzed due to a stroke but he could still walk, according to Buendia.

Margarita, 58 was a real estate broker.

The couple has three children, two of whom were overseas workers.

According to Margarita’s brother-in-law, Edgar Aliponga, the couple dropped by their house on their way home from Sibonga.

The couple’s room was at the rear end of the house which was fenced in by a concrete wall.

“Na-corner man gud ang ilang kuwarto mao to wa na makagawas (Their room was in the far-end corner of the house that’s why they couldn’t get out.),” Aliponga said.

Cebu City fire marshall William Tacaldo said they had difficulty penetrating the fire scene due to narrow streets Firefighters had to interconnect their hoses to reach the fire.

At least 28 families were rendered homeless in yesterday’s fire. Most of the fire victims are temporarily taking shelter at the community chapel.

Social workers distributed food to the fire victims. Buendia said the barangay will spend part of their P700,000 in calamity fund to help purchase construction materials for the fire victims. /Jhunnex Napallacan and Chito Aragon, Correspondents