Boracay residents open houses to fire survivors

A MAN STANDS on what used to be his house in the village of Manoc-Manoc in Boracay, which was hit by a fire that destroyed the resort-island’s wet market and at least 100 houses. KAREN BERMEJO/INQUIRER VISAYAS

BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan— Several residents of this island-resort have opened their doors to victims of the June 17 fire that destroyed more than 100 houses and the public market in Barangay (village) Manoc-Manoc.

At least three families are staying in the house of Marissa Licerio-Gabriel who is based in Switzerland along with her two children aged 16 and 11, and her husband, a Swiss national.

In a Facebook chat with the Inquirer, Gabriel said only her parents were staying in their house which she and her family used once a year when they go on vacation.

“We open the house because it’s our only way to help,” she said. “This is our only way to express our sympathy.”

Gabriel said they also gave food supplies, such as rice and canned goods, to the three families staying in their house.

She added these families would be allowed to stay until they find a new shelter.

Boracay residents Alexandra Miralles and Christine Temporanza allowed some fire victims to stay in their houses.

Miralles said a family of four members was staying in a vacant room in their house in Barangay Balabag.

“Our house is not that big but we want to help. We cannot give monetary help, so we opened our doors for them,” she said.

She added they also provided clothes to the fire victims who lost everything in the fire.

Temporanza took in two of her work mates who were also displaced in the fire.

At least 185 families or 884 individuals were displaced by the fire on June 17 in Sitio Manggayad, Manoc-manoc village, here.

At least 100 stall owners were also affected by the fire that destroyed the almost three-hectare Talipapa Bukid, which was located on the hills.

One of them was Edward dela Cruz whose stall was also destroyed in the fire that destroyed the old public market in 2005.

“We saw when the fire started. We tried to stop it, but the fire spread quickly and reached the wet market,” said Dela Cruz, also the president of Boracay Talipapa Business Owners Credit Cooperative.

He said he failed to save any of the fish and the more than 100 kilos of meat delivered in his stall because the fire spread quickly.

Despite what happened, Dela Cruz remained optimistic that he would recover what he lost in the fire.

“Most of us here were victims of the fire in the old talipapa. Though hard, we will try to rise again and get back to business soon because we have to,” he said.

In 2005, fire destroyed the old public market near the boat station 3 of the White Beach. The public market was transferred to Manoc-Manoc which the fire destroyed 10 years later.

Fire Inspector Stephen Jardeleza, chief of the Bureau of Fire Protection Boracay, admitted that the Talipapa Bukid was among the identified fire-prone areas on the island.

He explained that there was no access road to the public market that would allow their fire trucks to get through. The Talipapa Bukid was elevated, about 100 feet from the main road.

The area, Jardeleza added, was also congested because the houses were built too close to each other.

He said he had initial talks with Abramm Saulog, Monoc-Manoc barangay captain, on fire prevention but the meetings were stalled due to the preparation for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings here.