Barangay Ermita is now under a state of calamity following a fire that razed over 90 houses and claimed the lives of two children.
In an interview with Cebu Daily News, Ermita barangay captain Mark Miral said they declared the state of calamity past 10:00 a.m. today or at least two hours after the fire that broke out in the house of a certain Eda Alunod.
Placing Ermita under the state of calamity will enable village officials to utilize their calamity funds which Miral said they are still determining as to how much.
“The barangay conducted an emergency session after the fire was under control past 7:00 a.m. today,” Miral said.
Meanwhile, help is also on the way for the over 400 individuals (or 80 families) displaced by the fire.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said the city government will give P20,000 to the family affected, and burial assistance to the fatalities
The charred remains of Jovielyn Digman, 9, and John Mark Digman, 2, were found in the ground floor of their house in Sitio Kawit, Barangay Ermita by responders from the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) and the Bureau of Fire Protection – 7 (BFP – 7).