Cash aids for Ermita fire victims readied

Local

FINANCIAL assistance of up to ₱20,000 has been recommended for families affected by the fire that hit Sitio Ermita Proper, Barangay Ermita, Cebu City.

Based on the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) final report as of 5:42 p.m. on Monday, April 6, the blaze, which broke out at 7:34 p.m. on Sunday, April 5, affected 46 houses and displaced 166 families or 579 individuals.

Of the total, 32 houses were reported totally damaged, while six were partially damaged. The affected population also includes 41 renters, 79 sharers, nine lodgers, and six absentee owners.

Under the proposed assistance scheme, families whose houses were totally or partially damaged may receive ₱20,000 each.

Renters and sharers are recommended to receive ₱10,000, while lodgers and absentee owners may get ₱5,000, subject to validation and approval.

City authorities are currently conducting registration and verification of fire victims and internally displaced persons (IDPs), a prerequisite before any financial aid is released.

In the immediate aftermath of the fire, the city provided hot meals to affected residents for three days.

Displaced families are temporarily housed at the Ermita Gym and Ermita Elementary School, which have been designated as evacuation centers.

The DSWS has also recommended the distribution of relief goods, including rice, housing materials, and other essential items, to all 166 affected families as part of ongoing recovery efforts.

In a statement, Mayor Nestor Archival assured continued assistance to those affected.

He said the city is prioritizing both immediate needs and longer-term support.

“Padayon ang atong pagtabang sa mga naapektuhan sa sunog… Dili nato pasagdan ang atong mga kaigsuonan,” Archival said.

The Ermita fire was among several incidents recorded across Cebu and neighboring cities over the weekend.

Authorities have yet to release the official cause of the fire, as investigations by the Bureau of Fire Protection remain ongoing.(TGP)