CEBU CITY, Philippines – Victims of the Naga City fire are now taking temporary shelter at the Enan Chiong Activity Center that used to be occupied by landslide victims from Barangay Tinaan.
The fire victims from Sitio Mohon in Barangay Langtad were given food and water for dinner said, Naga City Councilor Junjie Cruz.
Cruz, head of City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said that the city government will provide cash aid to the fire victims as soon as they are able to complete their official list of fire-affected families.
Annabel Fat, 39, said that she lost her money and all of their belongings during the fire.
Fat, a housewife, said all that she managed to save was her daughter Annaly and her grandchild.
“Wala gyud, wala gyud. Hasta kwarta wala gyud. Hurot gyud tanan kay gi safety man gyud nako ang ako apo ug anak,” said Fat.
(I was unable to save anything. I even lost my money. I lost all our belongings because I chose to save my grandchild and daughter,” Fat told Cebu Daily News Digital.
Fat said that she was outside of their rented house when the fire broke at 3:22 p.m. today, January 5.
After seeing the burning house of their neighbor Marcelina Zamora, Fat said she immediately ran home to save Annaly and her grandchild.
The fire totally burned 11 homes and partially damaged another. It left 17 families consisting of 50 individuals homeless.
Fire Officer 1 (FO1) Ronel Andagan of the Naga City Fire Department said that no one was reported injured during the incident which was traced to have started from a spark at the circuit breaker of Zamora’s residence.
Cruz said that the displaced families will have to stay at the Enan Chiong Activity Center until such time that they are able to rebuild their fire-damaged homes.
Mohon fire victims took the place of landslide victims from Barangay Tinaan who also stayed at the center for at least three months since Sept. 2018./dcb