Kids pitch in; donations now P9-M for Bontoc fire victims

By Alpine L. Killa-Malwagay and Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Cash and in-kind donations to victims who affected by fire that raced many buildings here at Poblacion April 11 continue to pour in coming from generous donors in the Philippines and overseas.
    Records from the Office of the Municipal Treasurer said the Bontoc local government received total cash donation of P9, 068,324.75 as of 5 p.m. on April 27.
    Donations are still pouring in with P1 million given by the family of Rep. Maximo Dalog Jr; P600,000 by the Mountain Province Contractors  Association; Indigenous Peoples Development Office- Bataraza,Palawan with P192,000; Mountain Province Employees with P186,000; British Columba, Canada c/o Fidela Yawan and Marjorie Likigan with 169,290; the Province of Kalinga with P100,000 and lawyer Richard Stone Pooten with P100,000 among others.
    Among the long list of donors were three children who showed that age is just a number when it comes to helping others.
    First was Hazel Cassandra “Gagsi”  Lingbanan,  from Barangay Samoki,  who opened her piggy bank on her 7th birthday and decided to donate all her savings totaling P3,155 to fire victims.
    According to her mother Henrietta Claire Lingbanan who works at the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and     Management Office of Bontoc LGU, Gagsi’s piggy bank was filled with savings from months she earned from household chores and coins she set aside from her allowance in school.
    Her mom, who was deeply touched by the kind gesture of her daughter, accompanied her to the Bontoc Emergency Operations Center where Gagzi handed over her donation to MDDRM Officer Johanna Padaen. 
    Second was eight-year-old Johanna Carina Dominique "Ayachi" Pablo Kiat-ong, who studies at Rainbow of Angels.
    She emptied her piggy-bank savings for fire victims. 
    Her mother who was amazed at the selfless act of her daughter took a video of Ayachi as she emptied her piggy bank savings. 
    Ayachi came to know about the incident through a group chat of which her mother was a member.
    Without a second thought, she donated all her savings totaling to P5, 000 to the fire victims.
    Third was eight-year-old boy Castiel Jay "CJ" Bacwaden, a Grade 2 pupil who donated the savings from his piggy bank totaling 1,252.05. CJ said he started filling his piggy bank with earnings since April 2022. Their home is near the incident site and he saw the destruction caused by the fire. Without a second thought, he and his cousin Kalel went to the Bontoc EOC to personally hand over his savings.
    Meanwhile, for the past days, the workforce from the Bontoc LGU and volunteers have been busy in delivery and distribution of in-kind donations to the doorsteps of fire victims.
    Most fire victims sought temporary shelters in the houses of their immediate families and relatives.
    Bontoc Mayor Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong, Jr., extended his gratitude to everyone for their unselfish acts in helping the fire victims.
    He added cash and in-kind donations, and manpower and equipment services at the incident site were a big help to those who have lost their homes, properties, and livelihoods. 
    The mayor assured all donations would go to the fire victims.
    “I am deeply touched by the enormous support and generosity that we continue to receive. We thank all those who help us, be it in monetary, materials, services, prayers, mental and physical support, regardless of where, how, and when they did it. What is important is that you help us,” the mayor said.
    This, as a total of P59.5 million reached assessed  damage from the April 11 fire that engulfed the commercial-residential section here.
    Bureau of Fire Protection Provincial Fire Marshall Ferdinand Ammiyao said the estimated damage cost may reach to as high as P100 million plus pending the submission of affidavits of loss from owners of 24 buildings that were totally or partially burned including affidavits from tenants.
    This, as donations are pouring in from individuals, organizations and institutions submitted to  the Emergency Operations Center of the  Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management  Council here aside from food, clothing and other materials.
    MDRRMC Officer Johanna Padaen said cash donations  shall be equally divided among  owners of the 24 structures  destroyed by the fire.
    Boarders shall be given financial assistance sourced from the Social Welfare and Development (SWAD.      
Of the 24 are 10 partially damaged residential houses made of concrete while 14 houses made of wood were  totally razed to the ground.   
    BFP Fire Investigation Officer Clifford Chinalpan said assessed value was based from the manual of operations of  the  Bureau of Fire Protection which considered only considered the cost  of building materials used.
    Most of the destroyed buildings were that of Type B, C and D equivalent to P59.5 million damage built within some 4000 square meter area with individual lot ownership from 44 to  940  square meters.
    BFP investigation  records reveal  the fire gutted seven structures covered under  Class B made of concrete and  fully furnished residential houses with an assessed damage cost of  P18.8 million.
    Class C structures ravaged of P39 million damage cost numbering 19 structures  mostly made of  wood and others of concrete material.
    Two structures under Class D  of makeshift  materials build ate up assessed cost of P285 thousand loss.
    Vehicles costing P2.2 million damage included three tricycles, scooter, Pajero, Fortuner and Izuzu vehicles ranging cost of P45 thousand to P769 thousand.
    The congested commercial block  housed cafes, restaurants, barbershop, wagwagan, boarding rooms, sarisari stores and liquor joints.  
    Chinalpan said the cause of the fire is yet to be officially known pending results from lab tests of evidences submitted.