LOOK: President Duterte Personally Extends Help To Fire Victims Near Malacañang

Tragedy struck as a fire broke along Sikat Street in the San Miguel residential district about 150 meters away from the Malacañang palace last Wednesday, August 16, leaving around 500 families homeless and distraught.

The fire started from an untended candle in the house of a certain Oriel Degala, according to Brgy. 645 chairman Jerry Bolante, and quickly spread across the neighboring houses which were mostly made from light materials, causing the fire alarm to be raised to Task Force Bravo. The fire started around 3:00 AM and was declared fire out by 8:18 AM.

Damages from the conflagration are estimated to be over Php 2 million in properties. No one was reported to have dies from the fire but two were injured and were rushed to the nearest hospital.

Around 7:00 PM of the same day, President Rodrigo R. Duterte personally visited the victims of the disaster to extend his help to the affected families. At Regal Parish and the National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangels where the residents are being temporarily housed, Duterte extended initial help in the form of food packages and promised to give each family Php 5,000 aside from an additional supply of daily food.

“Akin lang sa opisina ko ‘to…. DSWD will provide food packs…rice six kilos, three cans of corned beef, three cans of meat loaf, six sachet of 3-in-one coffee, additional blankets, bottled water, pati banig. Ako small-time naman ako tanggapin lang din ninyo puwede na Php 5,000 per family?” Duterte asked the families, who expressed their joy and gratefulness at hearing this from the president.

Authorities are still verifying reports that the candle responsible for the fire was at the time of the incident being used for a shabu session, as Oriel “Oying” Degala is one of the 30 suspected drug users and pushers on the local watchlist. He still remains at large as of this writing. 

Source: GMA News