DAVAO CITY – More than 200 families affected by a fire in Barangay 5-A here on Friday, August 23, received assistance from the Office of First Congressional District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, represented by his son, Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte II.
RODRIGO ‘Rigo’ Duterte II visits families affected by a fire in Barangay 5-A on Friday, August 23, and turns over assistance from the office of his father, First Congressional District Rep. Paolo ‘Pulong’ Duterte. (Photo via Ivy Tejano)
Rigo distributed received food packs, bottled water, and water containers to families staying at the Barangay 5-A covered court while the city welfare office assessed affected residents.
An initial report obtained from Barangay 5-A said around 200 houses at Purok 6-A and 6-B in Pag-asa Bankerohan were razed by the hour-long fire that started around 8 a.m. Fire out was declared at around 10 a.m. and no casualties were recorded.
Forty-year-old Cesario Cabunita, a resident, said this was the second time they have experienced a fire, the first in 2017.
He added that their family was home when they heard someone shouting about a fire.
“We find it hard to believe that we’ve been affected by another fire. Given the high cost of living, relocating is not an option for us as we cannot afford to find a house near our source of livelihood. As of the moment, we are doing what we can do to survive,” Cabunita said in a local dialect.
Maribeth Derecho, 47, another resident, echoed Cabunita's sentiment.
She said it is difficult to go through another fire, especially since they have a child with psoriasis to take care of. Derecho added that they hope the city government can help them return to their homes.
“We quickly tried to save whatever we could, especially our kids and seven cats. We deeply thank Congressman Pulong for his immediate assistance to us victims. But we hope the city government will help us rebuild our home,” Derecho said.
Barangay 5-A Councilor Mayette Ibuyan Abayon said they will do their best to assist the fire victims through the “Serbisyo ni Kap Ibuyan Edgarantisado.”
Residents said an overheated iron in a house allegedly caused the fire. Others said the cause were an overheated airconditioner and a welding site.
The Davao Bureau of Fire Protection has yet to verify these claims as their investigation continues.