Fire victims need aid; elderly couple’s kids cope with loss

Last Wednesday’s fire that claimed the lives of an elderly couple and destroyed 21 houses in A. Lopez Street in barangay Labangon, Cebu City also cost about 64 schoolchildren their uniforms and materials.

“Ang ako nalang mga anak akong gisiguro, mao to nga wa jud mi nakakuha og mga butang (I made sure to protect my children, that’s why I was unable to get our belongings),” a teary-eyed Candelaria Torres said.

She and other parents are asking the Cebu City government and the public to give them financial assistance to buy their children the bags and school materials they lost to the fire.

Twin siblings Carla and Carlo Labitad said they wonder how they could go to school without their uniforms, books and school materials.

For now, the city government is prioritizing food and material assistance to the displaced families.

The couple Eduardo and Margarita Miego were found dead after they were trapped in their room located at the ground floor of their two-story house.

A day before the tragedy, the couple went to Simala in Sibonga town to offer prayers to Virgin Mary.

Arson investigator Emiliano Dañ0o placed the damages at P800,000 and said they are still verifying the cause of the fire.

The Miego couple’s youngest daughter, 25-year-old Jolly Ann Miego-Yonson celebrated her birthday beside her parents’ remains at the St. Peter’s Funeral Homes.

Their 29-year-old daughter-in-law Ivy Mae Miego said Margie planned to throw a birthday celebration for Jolly following the arrival of her daughter’s husband from Dubai a few days ago.

Ivy said Jolly, whose family stayed at the couple’s home, was alerted to the fire after her four-year-old daughter Paris asked for milk from her.

“Jolly told me that she wanted to save her parents but her husband had to drag the family upstairs due to the thick smoke. Jolly told me that she was unable to tell her parents that she loved them,” Ivy said.

Ivy’s 35-year-old husband Edmar, the couple’s eldest child, immediately flew back to Cebu from Dubai on learing of his parents’ death. Edmar said he spent time with his parents in a resort in Lapu-Lapu City last May 18.

“I remembered that at that time, they were so happy carrying my son. It was the last time I saw them very happy,” Edmar said.

Jolly and Edmar’s sister is in Virginia and couldn’t come for their parents’ wake since her children are still small.

The couple would be laid to rest on Sunday at Calamba cemetery. Correspondents Christine Emily L. Pantaleon and Chito Aragon