Fire Victims in Ermita Uncertain to Rebuild Homes

There is no assurance yet that those fire victims whose houses within the shorelines of Sitio Bato in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City can be allowed to rebuild their homes in the same locations.

Mayor Michael Rama is so hesitant to say whether the concerned fire victims can be allowed or not to reconstruct their houses, which were constructed within the seawaters at Sitio Bato, but were razed by fire last Saturday evening.

According to Rama he had decided to just refer the matter to Ermita Barangay Captain Antonieto Flores, particularly the issue of reblocking the area and the widening of the narrow road.

Rama said if the people would oppose to widen the road to 10 meters he may agree that it will be reduced to seven meters-wide, which is already enough for a firetruck to pass by in case of fire.

The fire fighters explained that the narrow road leading to Sitio Bato in Barangay Ermita contribute to their problems on why they failed to immediately put off the fire that broke out in interior portion of that slum area.

It was reported that the fire investigators suspects that the fire was caused by possible electrical misuse, wire tapping or there were some children playing with matches.

While there are 239 houses razed by the fire and rendered homeless some 462 families, the individual fire victims had reached to 2,076 because there are over 100 houses slightly damaged.

Some of the fire victims are requesting the mayor to make sure that none of them will be displaced once the reblocking and widening of access road leading to their place is completed.