Fire hits Barangay T. Padilla: 2,000 families left homeless

CEBU, Philippines – In what fire officials said was the biggest fire to hit the city this year, close to 2,000 families lost their homes as the blaze razed an estimated 220 to 250 houses along the narrow F. Villa St., barangay T. Padilla.

Responding firemen took almost two hours control the fire which was reported at 12:10 pm.

Nobody was reported killed during the incident, but there were two fire victims, who suffered cuts and bruises while trying to save their properties.

SFO3 Roylin Maratas, the fire investigator, said Lani Florentino was wounded on her hand when the glass covering a saint that she was carrying broke.

Charlone Peleño, 23, was bruised on her arm when he was hit by the hose which was being grabbed by frantic residents.

A few of the firemen also sustained minor injuries.

Supt. Esmael Codilla, Cebu City Fire marshal, said reports that they are still checking where the fire started.

He, however, said that they are looking into allegations that the fire started the three-storey house of Rosemarie Rizol, a city hall employee.

According to Merla Lavides, one of the volunteers in the area, one of Rizol's boarders occupying the third floor allegedly cooked something using rubber to fuel the fire, which triggered the blaze.

Rizol, who was at work when the fire broke out, denied the report saying she is no longer renting out rooms.

She said that only her and her children live in the house.

Codilla said they could not still peg the damage as of press time.

Aside from the Cebu City firemen, fire teams from Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, Talisay City, Liloan, Minglanilla, and Consolacion, Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command, the Filipino-Chinese Fire Brigade, ERUF and other volunteers also helped put out the blaze.

Codilla noted that they encountered at least three problems during yesterday's fire incident. These are the narrow pathways, poor crowd control as residents tried to grab the hoses, and the weak hydrants, which were destroyed by the residents.

The Cebu City government through the City Disaster Coordinating Council started distributing packed meals to almost 2,000 families last night.

The victims are housed at the covered sports centers in barangays T. Padilla, Day-as, Zapatera and Tejero.

The city disaster council through the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) will distribute packed meals for three days and then will give "take home" goods, which include blankets, mats, mosquito nets, plates, pots, and a bag of canned goods and rice afterwards.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said that the city will provide housing materials to the victims. He has already ordered the concerned department to immediately conduct the bidding for the construction materials so it can be distributed right away.

The city government is hoping that the owner of the property will allow the residents to rebuild since most of them have nowhere else to go.

Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor chief Danilo Gabiana said that most of the properties in that area in T. Padilla are owned by the Villa clan.

Gabiana earlier said that it is not proper for owners to evict the residents after a fire because it will be a precedent for other owners who are having a hard time clearing their properties occupied by illegal settlers.

City Hall consultant on Disaster and former councilor Gerardo Carillo said in a report that the city must also look into ensuring that alleys, especially in squatters' areas, must be cleared and widened to allow access to fire trucks and other emergency vehicles.

DWUP has set the standard of three meters for alleys and eights meters for main roads. The city government is set to convene the disaster council today. - with Apple Pernes, PIT AB-Comm. Intern/NLQ   (THE FREEMAN)