A fire victim's smile

CEBU, Philippines - Anita Orbiso, 30, a mother of three, was enjoying a live production of a noontime variety show when the crowd's applause suddenly turned into cries for help. A huge fire has started to engulf the houses in six sitios of Barangay Luz Friday afternoon.

The crowd scampered away from the show mustering all the strength to be at their respective houses as fast as they could hoping to salvage whatever is left by the fire.

 “I ran as fast as I can back to our house. I took my kids and ran for safety,” Anita told The Freeman.

Anita, with her three kids behind her, watched her house as the fire gradually reduced it into ashes with all his material possession. As she ran, from a distance she saw how the fire grew into a towering inferno, engulfing the houses in the entire Sitio Lubi and five nearby sitios.

Tears rolled down on her cheeks as she remembers her years inside the small room she calls her home since she was a girl.

“Nothing was left but the memories of my past,” Anita said, while tightly embracing one of her girls sobbing. 

The smiles

A day after the tragedy, Anita is now a sign of inspiration to her family and friends with her simple smiles of hope.

The FREEMAN first saw Anita having a late lunch with her kids yesterday afternoon at the second floor of Barangay Luz Elementary School, one of the evacuation sites for the more than 2,000 evacuees.

Her smiles were euphoric and contagious. With six other families sharing the small room, Anita's laughter brings joy to all. “Everyone might say that I'm happy, but you know that I'm not,” she said. For her neighbor, Jonibeb Abao, 25, Anita's smiles are exactly what they all need right now.

“Through her (Anita's) smiles, I can forget about what had happen,” Jonibeb said.

Jonibeb said what happened was a terrifying end to a day of enjoyment. 

“Despite everything, we are still happy because no one died or injured during the fire,” she said.

Anita, however, was certain that her smiles are not forever.

She now appeals to the barangay and City Hall officials to support them in rebuilding their homes and provide them with the basic things for them to start anew in their lives.