CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Cebu City Council has placed Sitio Lourdes in Barangay Inayawan under state of calamity after the fire that destroyed 50 houses in the area on December 20, 2019.
Read: 70 families in Inayawan lose homes before Christmas Day
In a phone interview with CDN Digital, Vice Mayor Michael Rama said the City Council held a special session on Tuesday, December 24, 2019, to hasten the declaration.
This was a special request by Mayor Edgardo Labella, who wanted the financial assistance to be released as soon as possible so the 318 individuals can celebrate Christmas.
“We have placed Inayawan under state of calamity this morning because of the recent fire,” said Rama.
This means the families displaced by the fire will receive either P10,000 for home owners and P5,000 for home sharers.
Read: Inayawan fire victims still hope for a good Christmas
Labella previously said that he wanted the victims to receive the money in time so they will have something to use for Christmas.
In previous statements, the mayor said the city is also working on providing building materials for the victims so they can rebuild their homes.
The barangay council of Inayawan has also placed the sition under state of emergency so they can use the barangay’s disaster funds. /bmjo