DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 08 April) – Several fire-affected residents in Barangay 76-A Bucana here suffered delays in receiving prompt food assistance from the local government unit (LGU).
This was confirmed by Barangay 76-A village chief Robert Olan-olan in an interview with the media Monday afternoon, saying they bought food for several fire victims “using money out of his own pockets.”
He said that personnel from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) told barangay officials that “they must fund the food rations to the fire victims.”
Two separate fire incidents happened on Sunday afternoon, April 7, in Barangay 76-A near Purok 26 Times Beach, and in Purok 4 Seawall Bucana, affecting a total of 474 residents.
Olan-olan said funding the food rations of the fire victims out of barangay funds needs time to be deliberated and processed.
On Monday morning, the barangay council passed a resolution stating the village government will shoulder the cost of food rationing for fire victims, he added.
He said they would look for food suppliers who will agree to be paid “weeks after providing rations to the fire victims.”
Charity Tagud, CSWDO senior associate social worker for Talomo A district, told MindaNews they delivered the food rations “on time” for the fire victims.
“After the fires, our social workers immediately proceeded to the area to validate the victims,” she said.
At 7:52 p.m. Sunday, the City Government of Davao posted on its Facebook page photos of the LGU’s responding teams attending to the fire victims, including food distribution.
The fire at Purok 26 Times Beach occurred at 2 p.m. and two hours later at Purok 4 Seawall Bucana.
The CSWDO placed the cost of damage at P1.78 million and P2.53 million, respectively.
Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the blaze.
On Monday afternoon, the CSWDO, the office of Davao City First District Rep. Paolo Duterte, and City Health Office (CHO) brought a mobile food kitchen and provided medical assistance to the fire victims. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
