3 weeks after, brgy. Luz fire victims await green light to rebuild

Senator Peter Cayetano (left) talks to Victoria Medalle, (3rd from right) a victim of the fire in barangay Luz last September 30.
(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Victoria Medalle, 63, and 12 other family members crowd two bamboo cots placed inside their temporary shelter areas at the Barangay Luz Elementary School.

The cots have been their home since the September 30-fire which hit barangay Luz that left about 200 families homeless, including them.

“Dugay kaayo.  Wala pa gyud mi pabalika sa nasunugan kay gi trabaho pa kuno sa gobyerno,” she said. (They told us not to return to our areas yet, because the government is still working on things.)

Barangay captain Jerome Pagador said city hall is still working on the opening of an access road and the re-blocking of the fire sites in sitios Abellana, Sto. Nino and Sta. Cruz.

“Pero ilang gipasalig nga next week maka sugod na kuno ug tukod balik ang mga nasunogan,” he told Cebu Daily News. (They assured that the victims can start reconstruction next week.)

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano visited Barangay Luz Elementary School yesterday morning and handed over P500 cash to each affected family.

He also gave the same amount to about 80 families in barangay Kamputhaw who were affected by a fire last September 18.

Before he left, Cayetano handed envelopes containing P25,000 cash each to Pagador and Kamputhaw barangay captain Trifonio Liquigan for the livelihood assistance of the fire victims.

“Sa pagbalik ko, gusto kung makita kung ano ang negosyo na napag- planohan ninyo,” he told about 100 people who came for the distribution of the cash assistance. (When I come back, I’d like to know what source of income you are able to put up with this.)

Cayetano said he will ask help from friends so he could give an additional seed capital to the fire victims, if  the initial P25,000 which he already gave is spent well.

In a message he delivered prior to the distribution of the cash assistance to fire victims in barangay Lorega, for example, he said the P50,000 seed capital which he earlier gave was used for a rug-making business.

Hazel Arellano, 41, said she skipped her work in a beauty parlor to receive the P500-assistance from Cayetano.

“Maayo na lang ni kay nag sige pa gyud mi ug pamalit ug gamit karon.  Back to zero gyud mi kay nasunog tanan namong gamit,” she said. (This could already help us in buying things that we need.)

Arellano, Medalle’s daughter, said their life inside the elementary school grounds have been very difficult and they are now looking forward to rebuilding their houses. She said that the school grounds get flooded and muddy every time it rains.

Pagador said about 80 families occupy the elementary school grounds.  The rest are staying at the barangay hall grounds while the others are staying with relatives.

City Hall set up tents for the fire victims to occupy.

Families  hang clothes as makeshift walls to separate their cots.

They place their things on monobloc chairs or on the ground.

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