Mayor Lucilo Bayron visited evacuation centers on Thursday, distributing ₱5,000 each to families displaced by the nearly six-hour devastating fire that hit two coastal barangays in Puerto Princesa City.
As of yesterday, February 8, a City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) report indicated that the count of families impacted by the fire had reached 661. This is still based on a partial update as the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) continues to conduct interviews with the fire-affected families.
City Information Officer Richard Ligad stated that Mayor Bayron visited the evacuation centers in Bagong Pag-asa at the baywalk area, the Heritage Park, Barangay Princesa, and Barangay Tagumpay.
“Namigay siya ng tig ₱5,000 sa bawat pamilyang nasunugan. Galing ito sa fund ng Mayor’s Office. Iba pa dito yong ipamimigay ng city government sa Monday. Nag-iwan din siya ng konting inspirational message sa mga nasunugan nating kababayan,” Ligad told Palawan News.
The CDRRMO said 279 homes in Barangay Pagkakaisa were affected by the fire, with 266 completely damaged and 13 partially damaged. In Barangay Bagong Silang, 243 houses were burned.
Of the 661 families, 397 are now accommodated in four evacuation centers, and 264 families have found temporary refuge with their relatives.
Earlier, the Puerto Princesa City Fire Station (PPCFS) initially reported to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Mimaropa Region that 450 homes were destroyed in the two barangays—200 in Pagkakaisa and 250 in Bagong Silang, displacing a total of 920 families.
The PPCFS stated that the city fire commenced just after 2 a.m. on Wednesday but was not reported to them until 2:25 a.m. They reached the site at 2:32 a.m. and commenced firefighting efforts. The fire was finally extinguished at 8:10 a.m., nearly six hours after it began.
The CDRRMO and the CSWDO also reported that they have distributed 1,300 family food packs, 376 family kits, maternity and infant kits, water containers, and sanitation facilities. Modular tents and bedding foams have been provided too to displaced residents.
The city residents have also not been remiss, as their contributions have now reached over ₱365,000 in donations to aid the relief efforts. City officials and humanitarian workers remain dedicated to addressing the needs of the affected individuals and initiating the reconstruction process.
Ligad also stated that they are managing, under the leadership of the City Nutrition Program, Oplan Linis, and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), the provision of supplementary feeding to residents through a mobile kitchen project.
“Ang supplementary feeding ay isang centralized production ng pagkain kung saan ang mga pagkain ay lulutuin at ihahanda sa loob ng mobile kitchen upang mas mapadali ang distribusyon sa evacuation center,” he said.
The supplementary feeding program features a cycle menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (B, L, D) to ensure the necessary nutrition is provided to the fire victims. This feeding program will run from Monday to Sunday and may be extended based on the needs of those affected by the fire that hit Bagong Silang and Pagkakaisa on the morning of February 7.
Ligad also noted that the city government is setting up temporary housing for families affected by the fire behind the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum in Barangay San Pedro.
He said this aims to provide immediate shelter to those displaced by the disaster, ensuring they have a safe place to stay.
