3 fires hit city: Capitol gives P2 million to victims

CEBU, Philippines - Three more fires hit Cebu City yesterday as Governor Gwendolyn Garcia turned over a check worth P2 million and P300,000 worth of goods to Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama as Capitol’s financial assistance for the victims of previous fires in the City.

Yesterday’s fires were in Barangays Capitol Site, Kinasang-an and Camputhaw.

The blaze in Kinasang-an at 9:45 in the morning and the one in Kamputhaw, which broke out at 4:42 in the afternoon, were put out by residents using water buckets.

In Barangay Capitol Site, a house was destroyed while four were damaged in the fire which started at around 7:58 am. The apartment was owned by Cedric Jesus To.

Charisse Lima, 25, a nurse working at Cebu Doctors Hospital, just arrived from work when their lights suddenly went off. A few minutes later as she was about to sleep, she felt her room getting hotter so she checked the adjacent room.

Everything looked normal from the outside but when she peaked through the locked door, she saw the fire so she shouted for help. Other occupants of the apartment immediately rushed out of their room.

Damage was pegged at P70,000 as firewalls stopped the blaze from spreading to a nearby restaurant. Firefighters from the Guadalupe and Kamputhaw fire stations were the first ones to arrive at the fire scene, controlling the fire within two minutes.

Cebu Fire Marshal Aderson Comar said they are still investigating the cause of the fire. However, based on Lima’s accounts, they believe that it might be because of electrical misuse.

Comar said both residential and business establishments should install circuit breakers to prevent fires.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday turned overthe checkworthP2 million to Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama as financial assistance for the fire victims.

The turn over was held during the visit of Garcia at Barangay Suba, Cebu City where she distributed rice and relief assistance to the fire victims.

“Ang mayor na niana maoy mas nahibawo og asa na gastoon ang maong kantidad,” Garcia told reporters. (The mayor knows better on where the money should go.)

The Capitol gave 100 sacks of rice and packs of canned goods, noodles, mats, blankets and kitchen utensils for the 464 families of Suba, Pasil; Upper Lucimba, Pardo; Sudlon, Lahug and Quiot, Pardo, all in Cebu City.

Each of the families will get 10 kilograms of rice while the families of those who died during the fire will also get P5,000 each.

Suba, Pasil Barangay Captain Roger Ressureccion is thankful for the unity between the two chief executives of the city and the province as this benefits the people.

Rama said that a lot of benefits will go to the people if the City and the Province are united.

“Nianhi ang gobernadora kay nanginlabot, wala manghilabot,” Rama said. (She is not meddling in our affairs, she just wants to help.)

Garcia said she came to help the people in need in the city like how she helped the constituents in the province.

“Ug unsa’y akong pagpangga alang sa akong constituents didto sa ubang lungsod ug dakbayan sama ra usab ang maong pagpangga nga ako usab ipadayag ug ipaabot kaninyo dinhi sa dakbayan sa Sugbo,” Garcia told Cebu City residents. (I care for you like I care for my constituents in the province.) — (FREEMAN)