Lorega in state of calamity

NO BEAUTY FOR THE GODDESS OF LOVE. A sooted concrete replica of the ancient Greek sculpture of Venus de Milo which survived the flames of Lorega hovers over what remains of the once bustling community. At least 7,000 people were left homeless following Wednesday’s fire. (CDN PHOTO/ TONEE DESPOJO)

The Cebu City Council yesterday passed a resolution declaring barangay Lorega under state of calamity after a 10-hour fire rendered over 7,000 people homeless last Tuesday.

At least five people were injured. Authorities estimate the damage to reach P2.5 million, which was vehemently contested by the public who made their sentiments known over the radio yesterday.

The City Council resolution likewise included barangays Ermita, Bulacao and Mabolo. The areas were also hit by fires  earlier this month.

Eight of the 14 sitios in Lorega were affected by the fire. These are: sitios San Miguel, San Roque, Laray, Quadrangle, Itom Yuta, Kamansi, Lawis and Serias.

City Hall’s Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) immediately provided food, essential goods and tents to the affected residents, many of whom occupied the road and center island bringing along whatever belongings they managed to save.

Ester Concha, head of DSWS, said City Hall will be providing meals until Friday.

Traffic constables from the Cebu City Integrated Traffic Operations Management (Citom) were also deployed at the corner of Gen. Maxilom and M.J. Cuenco Avenue to divert south-bound traffic.

Authorities said the fire victims were forced to occupy the roads as the barangay’s sports complex which was supposed to serve as emergency shelter  was also destroyed by the fire.

City Hall service buses yesterday ferried some of the residents to neighboring barangay Zapatera where they were made to temporarily seek shelter.

“Good thing we were able to close the streets only for today. By Thursday, we will already transfer the victims to the sports complex in barangays Zapatera, Day-as and T. Padilla,” said Lorega  councilwoman Trudes Fuentes.

Doctors and nurses from the City Health Department were also sent to the fire-hit barangay to treat those who sustained cuts and minor burns.

Fire victims yesterday sifted through the rubble of their homes to  salvage whatever they could still take from their burnt houses. Others started selling galvanized iron sheets to junk shops.

The City Council also passed a separate resolution  calling on the National Housing Authority (NHA) to extend materials assistance to the fire victims.

“The NHA is implementing the Housing Materials Assistance Program (Homa) which grants housing materials to victims of calamities to give them the means to repair or reconstruct their homes,” said the resolution.

He said NHA already distributed housing materials worth P5,000 each to families in Day-as, Carreta, Sawang Calero, Ermita, Calamba and Sambag II which were hit by fire last year.

REBLOCKING

City Engineer Jose Maria Poblete assured the residents that they will be allowed to rebuild their houses after the City Hall is done re-blocking the area so that access roads will be opened especially at the interior part of the fire scene.

The policy of the City Hall to allow people to rebuild from burned areas whether these are privately-owned or public lands. This he said discourages land owners  and developers from resorting to arson to remove informal settlers.

Senior Supt. Maria Luisa Hadjula, regional director of the Bureau of Fire Protection who took command of firefighting operations after the declaration of a general alarm  site commander during the fire that was raised to General Alarm said firefighters had a hard time penetrating the area where the fire originated because of narrow paths.

According to Fuentas, intial discussion by the city government with the barangay officials will be to reblock the area. However, she assured that the residents will be allowed to build back in their areas.

“Okay ra ug i-reblock basta kay makatukod lang mi ug balik. Kay wala na miy kapaingnan,” she said.
(It will be okay to reblock as long as we can rebuild our houses because we have nowhere else to go.)

Councilor Dave Tumulak also called on the Cebu Contractors Association, the city’s Management Information and Computer Services (MICS) and the Department for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) to help in the immediate reblocking of the fire-affected sitios.

“The survey should be done in consultation with the Lorega Homeowners Association,” said Councilor Alvin Dizon.

Tumulak authored two resolutions during the City Council session.

DAMAGE

SFO3 Roylin Maratas, chief arson investigator of Cebu City Fire Station, said the Lorega fire was the biggest fire incident for this year, ironically  while the nation observes Fire Prevention Month.

Maratas said the cause of the fire still under investigation. Investigators will summon Bobby Hortisano, the owner of the house where the fire started.

He also identified those injured fire victims as Raymond Ceñiza, 28; Cheska Taneo, 15; Tiffany Caniston, Marlon Pacqiao, and Arnulfo Sandicona. They were respectively injured on hands and feet.

They were not, however, brought to the hospital said Maratas.

The fire department’s initial damage estimate is at P2.5 million. But the extent of the fire indicates a much bigger damage.

“It’s only for the structures which were mostly made of light materials,” said Cebu City Fire Marshall Rogelio Bongabong.

Based on their initial investigation, the start of the fire was seen in the roof of one of the houses but they still have to verify and validate if it was caused by electrical wires or other causes.

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