IN BRGY. PAHINA CENTRAL Fire eats up 300 houses

Millions of pesos worth of properties went up in smoke last night after an hour-and-40-minute fire hit three sitios in barangay Pahina Central, destroying 300 houses.

Pahina Central barangay captain Sesenio Andales told The Freeman that the fire hit sitios Terminal, Sto. Niño and Guani, including a five-door apartment owned by a barangay councilman, a house of another councilman and a portion of the Cebu South Bus Terminal.

Fire investigator Frank Donozo revealed that the fire reportedly started at the house of Ernesto Agapay, a teacher who, at that time, was at work at the nearby University of Cebu College of Criminology. Donozo said one of Agapay's neighbors claimed that a kerosene lamp left inside the house started the blaze at about 6:08 p.m. He, however, said that the neighbor did not elaborate further.

Fire authorities are also exploring another angle, wherein the fire victims got into a heated argument with representatives from the Capitol, who were sent the other day to inform residents that they have to vacate the area because the provincial government will be using the lot.

According to Andales, the lot occupied by the fire victims is owned by the Provincial Government. In fact, he said, there is a pending case in court on the matter.

Andales, however, clarified that as far as he knows, the only problem that the residents recently faced was the creation of a wider opening at the Natalio Bacalso area so that those who are living in the interior portions can be easily accessed. This problem, he said has already been settled Friday night after it was agreed that people near the Natalio Bacalso entrance will move their structures to pave the way for a wider opening.

The barangay chief even said that it was proposed that the city's Squatters Prevention Encroachment and Elimination Division or SPEED be sent to the area to demolish the structures blocking the opening. However, the proposal did not materialize because the concerned occupants volunteered to remove the structures blocking the opening themselves.

It took the unified forces of firemen from the cities of Talisay, Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and the Chinese Fire Volunteers an hour and forty minutes to control the blaze. City Fire Marshall Ismael Codilla pointed out that the very narrow alleys were the primary reason why firemen found it difficult to control the fire.

In the ensuing commotion where everybody was trying to salvage anything from their houses, 20-year old Ronald Cobacob, a resident, injured his left foot. Aside from Cobacob, there were no other reported injuries. Andales confirmed that the five-door apartment and a house owned by two of his councilmen namely Vicente Madarang ang Arthur Bondoy were razed by the fire along with that of lawyer Peping Madarang. Donozo also confirmed that a portion of the South Bus Terminal was also eaten up by the flames.

Codilla explained that although the houses along the road were mostly made of concrete, those located in the interior portion were actually made of light materials. "Nag-ali ang mga apartment so naay barrier. Dili ta kasulod diretso kay magtakilid gud ang moagi nga tawo. Naglisod ta sa atong positioning gawas pa dako kaayo ang area unya both ways ang kayo," Codilla said. As of last night the fire victims were sheltered at that Pahina Central barangay hall and at the adjacent sports complex. Representatives from the City's Social Welfare and Services were also already attending to the needs of the victims.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Vice Mayor Michael Rama and councilors Gerry Carillo and Edwin Jagmoc were among those who went to the area.