Metrobriefs

30 families left homeless in fire

A fire razed a three-story residential building in Manila and left at least 30 families homeless on Thursday. SFO2 John Joseph Jalique of the Manila Fire District (MFD) said that the blaze started at 12:51 p.m. in the building owned by Marcos dela Peña at 584 San Andres Ave. in Malate. Jalique said the fire reached the third alarm before it was placed under control at around 1:30 p.m. and put out nearly an hour later. Jalique placed the damage to property at P100,000 although the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Jeannette I. Andrade

Joke lands agent in jail

A 25-year-old call center agent landed in jail Thursday for joking that he had a bomb inside his bag as he was about to attend an event where the main guest was President Aquino. John Christopher Fuentes, of Almanza, Las Piñas City, was later released after SMX Convention Center officials in Pasay City said they would not file charges against him. Mr. Aquino was the guest speaker at an event organized by the International Contact Center of the Philippines.  Tina G. Santos

Heart forum

A forum on the heart and heart diseases will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at the Students Activity Center of Centro Escolar University on Buendia Street, Makati City. Dr. Adolfo B. Bellosillo, head of cardiac rehabilitation and preventive cardiology at Makati Medical Center, and Dr. Enrique Fuentes, consultant on cardiac rehabilitation, also of MMC, will be the speakers. The forum which is open to the public and free of charge is coordinated by Justice Josue Bellosillo of the CEU School of Law and Jurisprudence. Call Annabelle Balon at 8898169 local 133, or Dr. Corazon Dizon at local 113 for information.