By Aldwin Quitasol
BONTOC,
Mountain Province -- Igorots or people of the mountains have recently shown the
rich cultural heritage of the indigenous peoples of Mountain Province as they
unselfishly answered to the call to help the families and individuals displaced
by the large fire that razed establishments and residences in Bontoc.
The aid came after fire broke out April 11 here where fire fighters from nearby towns also provided assistance to put out the blaze which saw 19 establishments and houses totally burnt while 10 were partially damaged and nine vehicles charred.
At least 114 individuals were left homeless and seek temporary shelter at the Anglican Church of the capital town of Mountain Province.
Hours after the fire, residents of Bontoc called for an “Og-ogfo”, the cultural practice of working as one in helping each other.
Alongside authorities, residents helped clear debris and cleaned the place.
Town and other residents of the province, not minding their financial status, chipped in whatever amount they can give and handed it to the concerned agency of the town in aiding the victims as other local government units in Mountain Province and Kalinga donated cash, food and other materials to Bontoc.
Women, men and children of the town worked hand-in-hand in building temporary houses for the victims, with some helping in cooking food for the fire victims and the volunteers and workforce.
As of April 16, the amount collected is now more than P5,431,505.55
On April 18, an ecumenical mass will be celebrated at the fire site.
A total of 34 residential houses and business establishments here in Barangay Poblacion were burned and destroyed after fire broke at around 2:30 a.m. on April 11 and declared out by the Bureau of Fire Protection 7:20 a.m. same day.
A report from the Bontoc Emergency Operations Center said 24 structures were totally damaged, 10 partially damaged, and 11 vehicles burned.
A total of 194 individuals or 96 families were affected by the incident.
No one was burned nor injured in the incident.
This as donations in cash or in kind from individuals, organizations, institutions and groups are still being accepted here at the Emergency Operations Center of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management (MDRRMC) Office.
Cash and in-kind donations continue to pour in. A total of P2,053,534 was received by the Bontoc local governmentfor fire victims as of 3 p.m. of April 14.
Donors included Mountain Province Contractors Association with a donation of P600,000; Province of Kalinga with P100,000, Barangay Caluttit of Bontoc with P45,226 and other persons from Bontoc, other municipalities of Mountain Province, elsewhere and abroad.
Bontoc MDRRMC Officer Johanna Padaen said cash donations shall be equally divided among displaced house owners.
Individual renters of boarding house establishments shall be given cash assistance from the Social Welfare and Development, Padaen added.
MDRRMC distributed food, sanitary items and vegetables from donations to the fire victims given by members of the immediate community.
Initial help of 39 family kits worth 359 thousand pesos from the Office of Civil Defense 161 free food packs from the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development worth P75,000 and 46 hygiene kits were given to the displaced fire victims.
Of the 22 damaged structures, 12 were commercial stores for rent, boarding houses for students and working folks.
Nine of the 10 partially damaged concrete structures are commercial spaces.
Also burned during the conflagration were 11 totally damaged vehicles including three tricycles and a Pajero.
Affected folks were brought to evacuation sites at All Saints Cathedral Compound and Jehovah’s Witnesses Church while some of the displaced individuals were accommodated by relatives in town.
“The fire spread so fast,” Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Provincial Fire Marshall SINSP Ferdinand Ammiyao said.
Ammiyao said they received a distress call from the Bontoc Police at 2:36 a.m. of April 11.
“We immediately went to the site and found the place in total fire,” he added.
Ammiyao said he called for assistance from the nearby municipal fire stations of Sagada, Sabangan, Sagada and Bauko.
Fire was declared out at 7:20 a.m. with help from the BFP, Philippine National Police, MDRRMC, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Bontoc Water Delivery Organization, Criminology student interns of Mountain Province State Polytechnic College and other volunteers.
Asked where and how the fire started, Ammiyao said investigation was still on going.
Cost of damage is yet unknown pending submission of individual losses.
Ammiyao advised the public to report any incident of fire immediately to the BFP.
The aid came after fire broke out April 11 here where fire fighters from nearby towns also provided assistance to put out the blaze which saw 19 establishments and houses totally burnt while 10 were partially damaged and nine vehicles charred.
At least 114 individuals were left homeless and seek temporary shelter at the Anglican Church of the capital town of Mountain Province.
Hours after the fire, residents of Bontoc called for an “Og-ogfo”, the cultural practice of working as one in helping each other.
Alongside authorities, residents helped clear debris and cleaned the place.
Town and other residents of the province, not minding their financial status, chipped in whatever amount they can give and handed it to the concerned agency of the town in aiding the victims as other local government units in Mountain Province and Kalinga donated cash, food and other materials to Bontoc.
Women, men and children of the town worked hand-in-hand in building temporary houses for the victims, with some helping in cooking food for the fire victims and the volunteers and workforce.
As of April 16, the amount collected is now more than P5,431,505.55
On April 18, an ecumenical mass will be celebrated at the fire site.
A total of 34 residential houses and business establishments here in Barangay Poblacion were burned and destroyed after fire broke at around 2:30 a.m. on April 11 and declared out by the Bureau of Fire Protection 7:20 a.m. same day.
A report from the Bontoc Emergency Operations Center said 24 structures were totally damaged, 10 partially damaged, and 11 vehicles burned.
A total of 194 individuals or 96 families were affected by the incident.
No one was burned nor injured in the incident.
This as donations in cash or in kind from individuals, organizations, institutions and groups are still being accepted here at the Emergency Operations Center of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management (MDRRMC) Office.
Cash and in-kind donations continue to pour in. A total of P2,053,534 was received by the Bontoc local governmentfor fire victims as of 3 p.m. of April 14.
Donors included Mountain Province Contractors Association with a donation of P600,000; Province of Kalinga with P100,000, Barangay Caluttit of Bontoc with P45,226 and other persons from Bontoc, other municipalities of Mountain Province, elsewhere and abroad.
Bontoc MDRRMC Officer Johanna Padaen said cash donations shall be equally divided among displaced house owners.
Individual renters of boarding house establishments shall be given cash assistance from the Social Welfare and Development, Padaen added.
MDRRMC distributed food, sanitary items and vegetables from donations to the fire victims given by members of the immediate community.
Initial help of 39 family kits worth 359 thousand pesos from the Office of Civil Defense 161 free food packs from the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development worth P75,000 and 46 hygiene kits were given to the displaced fire victims.
Of the 22 damaged structures, 12 were commercial stores for rent, boarding houses for students and working folks.
Nine of the 10 partially damaged concrete structures are commercial spaces.
Also burned during the conflagration were 11 totally damaged vehicles including three tricycles and a Pajero.
Affected folks were brought to evacuation sites at All Saints Cathedral Compound and Jehovah’s Witnesses Church while some of the displaced individuals were accommodated by relatives in town.
“The fire spread so fast,” Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Provincial Fire Marshall SINSP Ferdinand Ammiyao said.
Ammiyao said they received a distress call from the Bontoc Police at 2:36 a.m. of April 11.
“We immediately went to the site and found the place in total fire,” he added.
Ammiyao said he called for assistance from the nearby municipal fire stations of Sagada, Sabangan, Sagada and Bauko.
Fire was declared out at 7:20 a.m. with help from the BFP, Philippine National Police, MDRRMC, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Bontoc Water Delivery Organization, Criminology student interns of Mountain Province State Polytechnic College and other volunteers.
Asked where and how the fire started, Ammiyao said investigation was still on going.
Cost of damage is yet unknown pending submission of individual losses.
Ammiyao advised the public to report any incident of fire immediately to the BFP.
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