SITIO Aling on Arellano Street in barangay Pantal, Dagupan City may cease to be a slum area after it was razed to the ground.

A fire on October 21, ignited by an overturned lamp, burned down about 85 per cent of the sitio gutting 105 houses occupied by 209 households.

The blaze, which lasted for about two hours, came from the second floor of the house of one Olive Lapiano.

Meanwhile, the owners of the area, which was occupied by the squatters for decades, are reportedly taking the opportunity to reclaim their property.

The land is located at interior Arellano Street, adjacent to Di-or Village.

Sitio Aling, a prime property within shouting distance from University of Pangasinan, can be reached through a narrow entrance and exit way coming from Arellano Street which made it difficult for responding firemen to reach the area.

VIOLENCE

Acting Mayor Belen Fernandez has ordered the police and the City Social Welfare Office to closely monitor the situation as violence may erupt if the squatters decide to put up a fight against the land’s legal owners.

Sitio Aling is composed of four lots, each of which is owned by the families of Villamil, De Perio, Zarate and Fernandez

Mostly the owners, it was learned, are already deceased.

Fernandez, who issued an order setting the Victoria Zarate Elementary School and Pantal Elementary School as evacuation centers, noted that the fire victims were reluctant to go to there as they preferred go back to Sitio Aling.

“I know Mayor Al Fernandez, who is set to retake his post anytime after coming from the United States, has a solution to this,” the vice mayor told The PUNCH .

A report stated that some of the fire victims have already started rebuilding their houses without any intervention from the lot owners.

FIRETRUCKS

Meanwhile, Fernandez said the city will consider buying additional fire trucks and equipment for the Dagupan City Fire Station to enable it to respond more effectively.

Fernandez disclosed this after meeting with members of the City Disaster Coordinating Council to assess the fire operation.

At the same time, the city council passed a resolution commending the Dagupan City Fire Station, Panda Volunteer Fighting Brigade, USATV Firefighting Brigade and other fire stations in Pangasinan for helping put out the blaze.

The resolution was proposed by Councilor Alfie Fernandez who, along with Acting Mayor Fernandez, was at the fire site to assist the fire victims’ evacuation.

Other fire stations that sent their fire trucks were those from Calasiao, Lingayen, Mangaldan, San Fabian, and Binmaley.

Aid for the fire victims have also been continuously pouring in.

The first donor on Monday was the Panda Firefighting Brigade, led by Roland Chua, which contributed cash to buy relief goods.

Chua said they allocated up to 500 relief packs containing rice, canned goods, instant coffee, sugar and bread to make sure that each family in Sitio Aling gets a share.

On Tuesday, the acting Mayor and Councilor Alfie Fernandez distributed used clothing and relief goods to the fire victims at the Victoria Hotel compound.

The city government donated relief goods while the City Social Welfare Office led by Elsa Santillan distributed used clothing.

On Wednesday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III sent medicines through the Region 1 Medical Center headed by Dr. Rolando Mejia.

Also distributed were used clothing donated by doctors, nurses and other personnel of R1MC.

Fernandez called on citizens of Dagupan to donate whatever goods they can, even used clothing, as most of the fire victims were unable to save their belongings.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) chapter distributed relief goods on Wednesday.

The PNRC also distributed used clothing, blankets, water jug, mats and cooking paraphernalia in addition to the earlier bags containing rice, canned goods and biscuits that were distributed.

Immediately after the blaze, the PNRC conducted a survey to determine the actual number of families affected by the fire and conducted mass feeding to the victims during the first two nights following the disaster.

The University of Pangasinan also immediately extended support through former councilor Alex De Venecia, now a professor at UPang, who immediately called Cesar Duque, UPang president and chairman, to approve the budget for the purchase of rice, noodles and sardines. —LM

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