Opol fire victims won’t be allowed to rebuild in same place

By LITO RULONA
and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents

THE mayor of Opol town in Misamis Oriental yesterday sought to stop over 150 families displaced by Tuesday night’s fire in the village of Luyong Bonbon from rebuilding their houses in the same area because the place is considered dangerous.

But here’s the good news: the town government has started working for a relocation area for the affected families. Opol Mayor Maximino Seno, who called for an emergency meeting yesterday morning, asked legislators to pass an ordinance that would declare the area as a “danger and no-build zone.”

Seno said the displaced families would need to be relocated, and resettlement efforts are being made. “I already called up the NHA (National Housing Authority) so it could help the local government in building shelters for the affected families. Gihulat na lamang nila ang area nga ma-endorse nato nga didto sila ibutang,” he said.

Seno said the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has identified the area and other places near the shoreline of Barangay Luyong Bonbon as a danger zone.

“Dili na kini sila makabalik,” he said. Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano called on Opol officials to carefully weigh things over. He said he was not against Seno’s “no-build zone” policy but added that this should not be done without ensuring the relocation of the displaced families.

“Kinahanglan himoon lamang kini kun mahatagan ang mga biktima sa tukmang relokasyon diin adunay pagtangad sa ilang panginabuhian isip kasagaran kanila mga mannanagat,” Emano said in a statement. “Kinahanglan mao gyud kini ang una sa atong konsiderasyon. Dili pwede nga tungod kay kasagaran kanila mga kabus, ato na lang sila ilabay sa bisan asa nga matawag tang relokasyon.”

Tuesday night’s fire, which broke out at around 6:45 pm, razed to the ground some 89 residential establishments, leaving some 153 families or about 387 people homeless.

Many of the fire victims are being housed at the Luyong Bonbon Elementary School. FO1 Harold Cabasan of the Opol fire station placed the structural damages at some P800 thousand. Most of the houses were made of highly combustible materials.

By 7:15 pm Tuesday when fire fighters claimed to have put the situation under control, nearly a hundred houses were already destroyed. Firefighters declared a “fire-out” at around 8:15 pm.

Investigators said they were still determining what caused the fire and where it originated although many of the fire victims pointed to 49-year old Eduvigis Mier whose house was allegedly the first to be burned. But Mier strongly denied that the fire started in her house.

“Unsa-on pagsugod sa akong balay nga walay may naghaling kay didto man ko sa baybay, ug ang akong anak nga si Robert natulog man?” Mier asked rhetorically.

Seno met with displaced families at the Luyong Bonbon Covered Court yesterday and assured them that the town government would help and develop a relocation site for them.

He said the town government would also set aside funds to provide food for them during a certain period. “Sulbaron nato ang problema kay nahitabo naman kini. Dili sila mag-worry sa pagkaon bisan pila ka bulan. I-plastar lang nato kini sila og maayo aron matabangan sila,” Seno said.

Meanwhile, the capitol has mobilized the Misorcares, Office of Barangay Affairs, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, and Provincial Health Office in order to help the fire victims.

Emano named former Opol mayor Dexter Yasay of the Office of Barangay Affairs, Jun Dy of the disaster risk reduction management office, and social welfare officer G. Emelia Andrea, Lilay Ocot of Misorcares, and provincial health officer Dr. Bebina Casino to help each other in overseeing the relief operations.

The capitol also released sacks of rice, noodles, and other relief goods as initial aid for the Opol fire victims.