Here are some scenes early morning today of the a portion of Sitio Kanipaan at Jansen Site in Barangay Basak Pardo in Cebu City which was hit by fire last January 6. | CDN Digital Photo by Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Barangay officials in Basak Pardo here are asking help not only from concerned citizens, but also city officials as some of its 600 residents try to get back on their feet following the big fire that hit a densely populated neighborhood last January 6.
One of the biggest challenges barangay officials faced was declaring a state of calamity.
READ: 2 massive fires in Cebu City: More than 150 houses gutted
Basak Pardo auditing woes
Due to pending legal and auditing reasons, Barangay Basak Pardo has been unable to access its funds since November, said Barangay Captain Dave Tumulak.
As of Monday, January 8, the fire that broke out in Sitio Kanipaan in Jansen Site burned down a total of 104 houses, and displaced 144 families or 636 individuals.
However, the barangay could not declare the sitio under a state of calamity because the barangay could not release funds and had not released funds since he assumed office in November last year, Tumulak said.
“Sukad pag November 17, pagassume nako as barangay captain, wa gyud tai bisan usa ka piso nga gipagawas diha sa atong barangay. Wa gyod tay funds nagamit,” he added.
According to Tumulak, the financial records and accounts of the barangay were still being audited. As a result, they were not allowed to spend a single centavo yet.
“Nangayo ta og tabang sa Liga sa Barangay, sa kang Mayor [Mike] Rama, sa Commission on Audit (COA), sa Accounting Office ug sa Budget Office nga dili unta masakripisyo ang tibuuk barangay,” he said.
(I am asking for help to the League of Barangays, to Mayor [Mike] Rama, to the Commission on Audit (COA), to the Accounting Office and to the Budget Office that they would not sacrifice the whole barangay.)
For his part, Rama, in a later press conference assured Barangay Basak Pardo that the city would provide any help, including addressing the barangay’s financial accounts.
“Ayaw lisud-lisuri… I already assured Dave Tumulak nga ngano gud lisud-lisuron?” Rama said.
(Don’t make it difficult…I already assured Dave Tumulak why would we make it difficult for your barangay?)
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Electric post?
The fire that broke out in Jansen Site on Saturday evening, January 6, lasted four hours. A total of P5.2 million worth of properties also went up in smoke.
Tumulak said that firefighters had difficulty trying to access the area due to narrow pathways.
Fortunately, a nearby resort allowed firefighters to use their premises to douse the flames with water as well as fire engines to refill their tanks without the need to travel far, he added.
While fire investigators continue to determine the real cause of the fire, Tumulak said they were verifying reports that it might have started from an electric post that exploded.