Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and members of the City Council and Cebu Provincial Board Member Glenn Anthony Soco, on Wednesday, visited fire victims at the Looc Brgy. gymnasium and at the Mandaue City Central School.
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes has promised the fire victims in Sitio Paradise, Barangay Looc that they can return and build their houses in the area.
Cortes made this promise during his visit on Wednesday morning, November 23, to the two evacuation sites where the fire victims were temporarily sheltered.
Cortes visited the Mandaue City Central School and Barangay Looc gymnasium together with members of the City Council and Cebu Provincial Board Member Glenn Anthony Soco to check on the victims’ situation.
The mayor, however, clarified that the return of the residents to their area would be temporary because they will be included in the city’s housing project and “Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program” of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
For now, the city government wants to hasten the distribution of financial assistance to the victims.
The City Council is set to conduct a special session to discuss the matter.
Cortes is asking for the cooperation of the fire victims for fast validation as the City Government aims to give the financial assistance within three days.
The City Social Welfare and Services (CSWS) as of noon on Wednesday has already validated over 600 families and over 2,000 individuals affected by the fire.
The fire that happened at 11:46 p.m. on Tuesday, November 22, burned at least 250 houses.
The CSWS has also distributed relief goods and hot meals to the fire victims.
CSWS head Camillo Basaca said that the victims temporarily housed at the Mandaue City Central School and barangay gymnasium will be transferred later to the Cesar Cabahug Elementary School in Barangay Looc because the Mandaue City Central School has a scheduled activity on Saturday, November 26.
Moreover, Cortes said that a few national government officials such as Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, senators Christopher “Bong” Go, Win Gatchalian, and Koko Pimentel have already promised to extend assistance to the fire victims. /rcg
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