State of calamity declared in 2 Cebu City barangays

Local

AFTER two devastating fires that turned Sitio San Vicente Ferrer in Barangay Lahug and Sitio Nava in Barangay Mambaling into charred ruins, the Cebu City Council has declared a state of calamity to fast-track aid for displaced families.

The resolution, passed on Wednesday, March 5, allows the city government to release emergency funds for relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Councilor Joel Garganera, who heads the committee on risk reduction management, safety, and climate change adaptation, pushed for the declaration, emphasizing the urgency of providing assistance to residents who lost everything overnight.

Local authorities are now working to deliver immediate relief while assessing long-term recovery needs for the affected communities.

The fire in Sitio Nava erupted in the early hours of Sunday, March 2, and spread rapidly through the community, where most homes were made of light materials.

Officials identified the house of Jorani Daomani as the fire’s point of origin.

By the time firefighters contained the blaze at 2:29 a.m. and fully extinguished it by 3:05 a.m., it had already destroyed 167 houses and damaged one more.

The city’s Department of Social Welfare Services reported that 184 families, comprising 822 individuals, were affected, with property losses estimated at P1.55 million.

Firefighters from Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City assisted Cebu City responders in battling the flames.

Three days earlier, on February 27, a separate fire broke out in Sitio San Vicente Ferrer, Barangay Lahug, due to an unattended candle.

The blaze, which reached the second alarm, gutted 40 houses and damaged 10 others before firefighters managed to contain it by 8:25 p.m. and fully extinguish it by 9:41 p.m.

Authorities reported that 70 families, or around 200 individuals, were left homeless by the incident.

With the country currently observing Fire Prevention Month, officials are reminding residents to exercise extra caution to prevent similar tragedies.

In his speech during the Fire Prevention Month celebration, FSupt. Pedro Balatero Jr. of the Bureau of Fire Protection-Central Visayas emphasized that while the call for fire safety is emphasized this March, it should be practiced all year round.(MyTVCebu)