Lobregat gives cash aid to Sinunuc fire victims
Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday morning distributed the city government’s financial assistance totaling P90,000 to 25 families whose houses went up in smoke last Sept. 1 when a fire broke out in Barangay Sinunuc, west of this city.
Of the 25 families affected by the fire, Lobregat said 12 suffered the most as their houses were totally destroyed. They received P5,000 cash each for a total of P60,000. Three families received P3,000 each for their partially damaged houses, while nine house sharers and house renter also received P3,000 each.
The cash distribution was supervised by the City Social Welfare and Development Office in coordination with the City Treasurer’s Office.
Meanwhile, Lobregat said the affected families can rebuild their houses on the burnt area as the land is titled to them. Unlike those in Cawit where the burnt area was a foreshore, thus the victims were barred from returning.
To recall, at least 154 houses went up in smoke when a conflagration broke out at about 9 a.m. on April 5, this year on the coastline of Barangay Cawit. This prompted the city government to ban reconstruction of any structure on the burnt site.
The local government offered to relocate the affected families at a nearby resettlement project in Barangay Tulungatung, but most of the families refused the offer as they preferred to return and reconstruct their houses. (Vic Larato)