Basak San Nicolas under state of calamity
The barangay council of Basak San Nicolas was placed under a state of calamity in a special session yesterday afternoon after the fire that razed at least 82 houses hit Sitio Alegre Monday afternoon.
Councilor Norman Navarro said the declaration will allow the barangay council to facilitate the use of their calamity funds to aid the fire victims.
Ester Concha, head of the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS), said they are preparing for the release of the P10,000 cash assistance to owners of burnt structures.
But Mayor Michael Rama said reconstruction will have to wait until after the reblocking is implemented in the area.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, DSWS recorded a total of 82 structures destroyed leaving 574 individuals homeless.
Fire victims are now accommodated at the Basak Community School.
Rosemarie Buenavista, one of the victims, said they are crowding in the classrooms.
Her family of seven had to share one classroom with 32 other individuals.
Buenavista is also appealing for help from kind-hearted Cebuanos. Her family needs clothes to wear, blankets, pillows and mats to sleep on.
Buenavista said her family is prepared to support Rama’s reblocking plans provided they will be allowed to rebuild their homes at the fire site which is reportedly a private property.
Nelson Badana, principal of Basak Community School, said they designated 10 classrooms and their library for the use of the fire victims.
Badana is asking the City Hall to allow them to hold classes in the morning and allow fire victims to occupy the classrooms only at night time to prevent disruption of classes.
It was classes as usual at the Basak Community School yesterday. Suspension of classes was only implemented on grades 4 and 5 whose classrooms are now occupied by fire victims.
The Cebu City Fire Department is inviting more witnesses to determine the cause of the fire which reportedly started at the house owned by Patricia Pahayahay but they have yet to determine what caused it.
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