Kasambagan fire victims need hygiene kits, underwear

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The 117 families displaced by an afternoon fire on Sunday, January 26, 2020, need hygiene kits and underwear.

This was the statement of Doctor Jeffrey Ybones, the head of the Department of Social Welfare and Services, after the fire that gutted more than 40 houses and displaced a total of 681 individuals.

Ybones said the families have already been provided with food following the fire and the barangay has given sleeping mats and blankets to the evacuees. Yet the families also need underwear and clothes along with hygiene kits like soap and shampoo to keep themselves clean.

Ybones said that those who want to donate should prioritize these needs, the hygiene kits, and food for the fire victims more than anything else.

The evacuees are staying at the barangay’s sports complex while waiting for a go signal to rebuild their homes.

“They can rebuild their homes because the lots are part of the 93-1 land swap deal with the Cebu Provincial Government,” said Ybones.

He said that as usual, financial assistance will be given to homeowners amounting to P20,000 and lot sharers amounting to P10,000. He said the city government is also working on providing additional P30,000 to the households from the National Housing Authority (NHA).

In a press conference on Monday, January 27, 2020, Mayor Edgardo Labella also said that reblocking will be made for the fire-struck areas to ensure that there will be enough road space for easy access to quick response teams for future disasters.

The mayor, who visited the victims on Sunday evening, said the city is also working on providing building materials to the victims so they can rebuild their homes again. /rcg