Build outside 3-meter zone, fire victims told

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes will allow  fire victims of Pulang Bukid, barangay Alang-alang to rebuild their homes as long as they  stay out of  the three-meter easement zone of the Butuanon River.

He said  house owners must follow this rule to avoid demolition in the future.

The  Mandaue City Council held a special session yesterday to declare sitio Pulang Bukid under a state of calamity.

With the declaration, Mayor Jonas Cortes can tap calalmity funds to release aid to the victims –  P5,000 cash and P5,000 worth of  housing materials  for houseowners  while while renters would receive P5,000 relief goods.

Jaycliff Go, a grade 2 pupil of Umapad Elementary School, still wants to go to school  despite the fire that gutted his home.

Go is appealing to those who have kind hearts to donate school uniforms and school materials that he and other children  can use to go on with their studies.

He said he will ask his teacher to allow him to continue attending classes even without his uniform and school supplies.

Go was at home when the fire broke out but wasn’t able to save any belongings. He was busy securing  his younger siblings.

With both parents jobless, they can’t afford to buy him new supplies.

Several children of the displaced fire victims are suffering from cough and colds.

Juliana Soncados, 55,  and her family are among the 200 individuals living in open shanties with canvass as roof.

With her are her daughter who  gave birth last November and three other grandchildren, who are now having colds and coughs. They share  space with nine families in one shanty./Correspondent Fe Marie Dumaboc and Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos