San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora on Tuesday, Nov. 19, promised urgent social and financial assistance to those affected by the fire that hit a residential area on F. Manalo Street in Barangay Kabayanan that left 76 individuals or 40 families homeless.
In a statement, Zamora expressed his gratitude to the local authorities who responded to the incident including staff from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), fire volunteers, police officers, and barangay officials.
He also thanked the City Social Welfare Development and the City Health Department for taking care of the evacuees currently staying at the city's evacuation centers.
"Sa mga naapektuhan ng sunog, nais kong ipaalam sainyo na kami po ay patuloy na gumagawa ng hakbang upang matiyak ang inyong kaligtasan at kaginhawahan sa mga darating na araw. Nagbigay nadin tayo ng paunang pagkain at patuloy po ang ating pagbibigay ng suporta (To those affected by the fire, I wish to inform you that we are still ramping up our efforts to ensure your safety and comfort in the coming days. We have also distributed food and are still continuing to provide support)," the mayor explained, adding that the city government is currently allocating funds courtesy of the local and national governments to be given to the victims as aid.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the fire started at 4:45 p.m. and reached the 2nd alarm at 4:58 p.m. Firefighters declared fire out at 5:41 p.m.
Arson investigators estimated the amount of damage to property at around P900,000.