Financial aid pushed for Mandaue fire victims

CEBU, Philippines - Disaster officials in Mandaue City are urging the City Council to declare a state of calamity in areas hit by the January 29 fire.

In a resolution it approved yesterday, the Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) said the declaration will enable the city to release financial aid for the affected homeowners in Barangays Ibabao-Estancia and Guizo.

City spokesperson Roger Paller, who is also a member of the DRRMC, said the approved resolution will then be transmitted to the City Council to be calendared for today’s regular session.

The DRRMC’s special meeting was chaired by city administrator James Abadia in lieu of Mayor Jonas Cortes, who sits as its chairman.

The council is lobbying for the release of P10,000 financial assistance to each house owner and P5,000 to renters and sharers.

Last Friday’s fire had displaced 90 houses occupied by 206 families in Ibabao-Estancia (183 families in 86 houses) and Guizo (19 families in four houses).

Based on the records of the DRRMC, there were 116 renters or sharers in the two affected areas.

Paller, however, said the affected families can no longer rebuild their houses on the same lot since the owner of the property, the Amigo family, will sell the entire lot to a manufacturing firm.

He said the victims had reportedly been given P25,000 cash assistance by the said family to facilitate their transfer.

As of yesterday, the families were still living in makeshift tents while the others were seeking refuge in the nearby gymnasium. Paller said the City Social Welfare Services Office has been providing them their basic needs like food and water.

Until now, the cause of the fire remains a subject of investigation.

To recall, six-year-old kinder pupil Jessa Mae Bocar of Sitio Nangka, Ibabao-Estancia perished from the incident.

Paller said a separate financial aid will be granted to Bocar’s family. — (FREEMAN)