This desolate scene taken on Feb. 6, 2019, shows what is left of Sitio Bato, one of the three sub-villages in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City destroyed by a two-hour fire on Feb. 5, 2019. The blaze razed 273 houses and rendered homeless 629 families or 2578 individuals. | CDNDigital Photo by Tonee Despojo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Jimenea Cabanlit, 40, is still in a daze.
Understandably, it has not even been 24 hours since she lost her home and most of her belongings.
With just the clothes on her back and a few clothing items of those of her four children and husband, Cabanlit is in dire need of help.
Cabanlit and her family are among the over 2,500 individuals, many of them children, who are displaced by the two-hour fire that engulfed Sitios (sub villages) Pig Vendor, Bato and Kastilaan in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City past 1 p.m. on Tuesday, February 5, 2019.
The fire swiftly spread in the densely populated coastal village, fanned by the strong wind and left uncontrolled by narrow alleys that prevented firefighters from getting into the interior section of the fire site. By the time the blaze was placed under control at 3:07 p.m., nearly 500 houses have been razed to the ground.
According to Ermita Acting Barangay Captain Efe Rupinta, the latest figures show that the fire destroyed 273 houses made of light and semi-concrete materials and rendered 629 families composed of 2,5073 persons.
Cabanlit, one of the victims from Sitio Kastilaan,uappeals for clothes, toiletries, food and financial assistance to get back on their feet.
“Ang amo ra gyud nga nabitbit kaning gagmay nga butang unya mga papeles. Mao ra gyud among nasalbar kay ang kalayo dali ra kaayo nga nikatap,” Cabanlit told CDN Digital.
At the time of the interview on Wednesday morning, Cabanlit has just claimed her family’s meal ration from the personnel of the City’s Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).
Cabanlit and her family of four children, along with the other fire victims, are currently taking shelter at the gymnasium beside the Ermita Barangay Hall. Others chose to stay at the unfinished Unit 2 of the Carbon Public Market, which is about 500 meters away from the fire site.
Rupinta says the city government has been providing packed meals to the fire victims since yesterday evening. But more help is needed by the fire victims.
Vendors of Carbon Public Market have also distributed goods to the fire victims last night, February 5, reveals Rupinta./elb