DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / August 20) — For victims of a large fire here on Monday that devoured 62 houses and displaced 164 families in two barangays, home for the moment is either a skatepark under a flyover, or a flood-prone school.
For the victims of Brgy. Agdao Proper, the Davao City Skatepark located under the Agdao flyover became their refuge as their evacuation area in their barangay is currently under renovation, according to barangay captain Rodolfo A. Cagatin in an interview with MindaNews on Wednesday.
Cagatin said that the skatepark, which he estimated to be around 1,000 square meters, is a safer and larger option to accommodate the 107 families.
At the Leon Garcia Sr. National High School, where victims from the barangay of the same name were temporarily housed, 23 of the 57 families who settled at the gymnasium using tents were transferred to five classrooms when they experienced ankle-deep water due to heavy rains.
Lita Empis, barangay captain of Leon Garcia Sr., said that students displaced from their classrooms will have a blended mode of learning as per her arrangement with the school.
As of Tuesday, partial data from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) bared that the total damage caused by the fire was at ₱23.7 million—₱18.3 million from Agdao Proper and ₱5.4 million from Leon Garcia Sr.
A total of 107 families were displaced from Agdao Proper, and 57 families from Leon Garcia Sr.
A total of 62 houses were totally damaged, while seven were partially damaged.
Two days after the fire, the city’s medical team continues to check on the health of the victims, more so because of the flood that hit certain areas of Davao City, including Agdao Proper and Leon Garcia Sr.
Dr. Neil Harold D. Fernandez, Agdao health district physician, told MindaNews Wednesday that there are enough medications and vaccines for the fire victims.
Antibiotics, prophylaxis, and anti-tetanus remain available for the victims, especially to those who have sustained wounds during the fire and those who waded in flood waters, Fernandez said.
He added that no severe cases were recorded, and none of the evacuees needed to be hospitalized.
The fire victims, meanwhile, are hoping to be able to rebuild their homes. Among them is 43-year-old Christy Cristino, who sought refuge at the skatepark.
As a home-based dressmaker, she told MindaNews that her livelihood is tied to the availability of her house, and even sharing a small room so that they can sleep well is what they aspire for at the moment.
For Marie (she prefers to be identified only by her first name), a single mother with three children, she is hoping that they will be allowed to stay at the skatepark for more than a month because it will take them a long time to find finances to be able to move out from the evacuation center.
For the fire victims now at the skatepark, sleeping is a problem due to noise from the traffic and the people passing through as the evacuation center is located under the flyover and in the crossroads of highways.
Glenda Espada, district head of the CSWDO in Agdao, said that the city government will provide financial assistance once they finalize the classification of the victims as it will vary
depending if the recipient is house owner, renter, house sharer, boarder, or caretaker.
She said that the evacuation centers will be available to the victims until they are ready to move out, and until then the CSWDO will continue their service to the victims.
Although grateful for the “ayuda” given to her family—which includes clothes, rice, and canned goods—Marie hopes someone will donate cooking utensils such as pots since they have not been able to cook since day one.
Cristino, however, is fortunate to be able to purchase a portable burner. She said the aid from government and private groups were more than enough.
However, Marie pointed out that they need more personal hygiene products since she shares it with her whole family and the kit is only adequate for a single person that would last for a week.
The victims continue to queue every time aid arrives.
For kindhearted people wanting to help, Espada advised to drop their donations at the evacuation areas at the Skatepark, Agdao Proper or at the Leon Garcia Sr. National High School, Agdao District. (Razl EJ Teman / MindaNews)
