Cortes to ask lot owners to allow victims to rebuild

CEBU, Philippines — Incoming Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes will request the owners of the lot in Barangay Tipolo where a fire hit early dawn last Thursday to allow the victims to rebuild their houses there.

In a meeting with the leaders and coordinators of the fire victims from Sitios Basubas, Maharlika and Espina, Cortes said he is hoping that the owners would also allow the victims to build their structures again.

Tipolo Barangay Captain Romana Cuizon said that Cortes also told them that there will be a plan of cleaning and reblocking the area.

As of yesterday, about 752 houses were destroyed by the fire. About 1,400 families were affected, according to the list of the City Social Welfare Services (CSWS).

At present, victims received assistance from the private donors, donations from different sectors and food from the barangay, said Cuizon.

She added that the food assistance that the barangay and the city would give will only be good for three days.

She also said that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will also be giving rice to the victims.

Cuizon said the victims urgently need assistance on their basic needs like food, clothing, toiletries, medicines for fever, trapal, blanket, mats, among other items.

Mandaue City Fire Station Investigator SFO2 Edgar Vergara said they are still validating the cause of the fire.

Meanwhile, Senator-elect Bong Go gave a sigh of relief among the thousands of Tipolo fire victims as he gave them cash and goods.

Go said that from his personal and friends donations they will give P2,000 as well as grocery items and food packs for each family.

Go said that the National Housing Authority will give P5,000 worth of housing materials for each family, while the DSWD will also give grocery items, cooking utensils and food items.

Other agencies of the government were also mobilized to assist the fire victims.

During Go's visit at the Cebu International Convention Center, where the fire victims temporarily stayed, he also promised to be the godfather of the future children of those pregnant fire victims.

He also gave cellular phones to the pregnant women.

Go also said he will also shoulder the expenses for those who wanted to go back to Davao.

To entertain the fire victims, Go and movie actor Phillip Salvador sang “Maging Sino ka Man,” to the delight the crowd.

The dawn fire left 1,429 families homelesss wherein 682 families were house owners and 747 families were house renters.

Estimated damaged is pegged at P1.3 million.

Aside from the houses, five classrooms of the Tipolo National High School were also damaged, as well as a stockroom of a brewery company was also partially hit by the fire. —Zesusita C. Belarmino /GAN (FREEMAN)