Victims of the major fire in a coastal town along Piapi Boulevard in Davao City in Mindanao region seen here at a shelter camp. (Photo: Kint Sodinia)
Thousands of victims of a major fire in the Philippines are suffering at evacuation centers due to a lack of food and water.
The victims alleged a lack of government support, forcing them to beg for food and water on the streets.
“Please help us with more food and water. We have received government aid but it is not sufficient to sustain ourselves because we have been here [evacuation centers] since Saturday [Feb. 25],” Miguel Tuazon, a victim, told UCA News.
Potable water and dried goods have remained scarce as the victims compete with each other to get relief materials from government and non-government sources.
Fire engulfed 1,200 houses in a coastal town along Piapi Boulevard in Davao City in Mindanao region at 1 p.m. on Feb. 25 which rendered 5,000 residents homeless, said a report by the Bureau of Fire Protection.
The fire department has attributed the cause of the fire to a spark from an electric socket in one of the victims’ houses.
Police have arrested several victims for looting as the power supply in the area is often disrupted.
“People are hungry… electricity is not consistent. So, victims are tempted to steal or get more food because it is really scarce,” Tuazon added.
There is also a problem with ventilation, as tents are erected beside each other with no electric plugs for fans.
Some of the victims are accommodated in basketball courts and are exposed to hostile weather conditions.
“It rained a day ago and the tents got wet. We could not use them in the evening,” another victim, Gerry Dumdulao, told UCA News.
“Our children are getting sick because of the heat. We hope to transfer them to classrooms, instead of sleeping here on the basketball court,” Dumdulao added.
Davao City’s fire department has dispatched trucks to bring back personal items from the accident site.
“Our children also lack school items because they left behind everything during the fire,” Tuazon noted.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary Rex Gatchalian has distributed relief materials in three villages as directed by the country’s president.
“I came at the instruction of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to extend help to those affected by the fire,” Gatchalian told the victims on Feb. 26.
“We will coordinate with the city government to help you start over again. We will make sure that whatever your city government needs, DSWD will always be there as your partner,” he added.
Davao city lawmaker Paolo Duterte said rescue operations started two hours after the fire broke out and the damage caused to properties was “out of control.”
“Imagine 1,200 houses being burned and each house is a home to an average of five people. The extent of the fire is really felt by many… Government support alone is not enough,” Duterte told reporters on Feb. 25.
The social arm of the Catholic Church has begun distributing relief materials to the victims.
“We are now collecting in-kind donations such as food [canned goods, rice, instant noodles, etc.], clothes, and hygiene products. You may drop off your donations at various Caritas offices in the Philippines. You may also deposit your cash donations in the Caritas bank accounts,” Bishop Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, head of Caritas in the country, said on Facebook.
