VENDORS AND residents are clinging to what little was left of their homes and means of livelihood after a five-alarm fire engulfed the bustling area of Paco, Manila last Saturday, April 20.
According to Bureau of Fire Protection-Manila Fire District (BFP-MFD) deputy district fire marshal Leo Andiso, the fire affected approximately 14 commercial and residential spaces and 50 individuals, causing damage amounting to P15.6M.
Multiple sources told the Manila Pulse that the fire broke out in a clothing store near Paco Market, where it eventually spread to other buildings, including Paco Catholic School (PCS), due to highly combustible materials that caused a “chain reaction.”
“Kung titignan mo ‘yong height ng apoy, kaya umabot doon sa 10th floor ng eskwelahan dahil sa sobrang combustibility content niya. Imagine mo naman kung mga plastic at tsaka linoleum o kaya may mga paninda doon [na] kung ano-ano,” he said.
(If you look at the fire’s height, it reached the school’s 10th floor because of the combustibility content. Imagine the plastic and linoleum or all sorts of merchandise there.)
But for others, property damage is not the only misfortune to grieve for as renovations are normally time-bound.
Persisting in making ends meet is another struggle, an indefinite one at that, for vendors like RJ Baurel, who is currently seeking a new job after his stall was wiped out.
“Ang nangyari dito ay biglaan—hindi rin namin alam. Kami ay naghahanap ng ikabubuhay. Pare-parehas rin kami nagulat at na-shock kung bakit nangyari ang ganito. Parang delubyo nga po ‘yan,” Baurel, a fish seller that resides along Brgy. 679 in Paco, said.
(What happened here was sudden—we don’t know. We are looking for a source of income. All of us were in disbelief and shocked about why this happened. It was like a calamity.)
His family had to evacuate immediately to avoid another tragedy, which was the risk of leaving his children behind.
“[H]indi pwedeng isusugal mo sarili mo para manood ka lang [at] para magkaro’n ka ng kwento. Kaya lumayo ka na lang para walang disgrasyang mangyayari. ‘Yon, kwento na lang ‘yon, bukas mo na lang alamin para makaiwas ka sa disgrasya,” he said.
(I can’t risk my life just to watch and have a story to tell later. So just get away to prevent accidents from happening. That’s just a story you ought to know the next day to avoid accidents.)
While Baurel failed to save any of their belongings and stocks, he was still “thankful” that no one was seriously injured despite the aftermath that lies.
No severe casualties were reported among the victims; however, the BFP reported one laceration casualty from its volunteer.
Although no one from her family got hurt, Paco resident Ana Flores is in despair of being unable to retrieve their belongings as she was not home when the fire started.
Due to the scarcity of necessities, Flores had no choice but to rely on the barangay’s provision of temporary shelters.
Meanwhile, the Manila Department of Social Welfare assisted the victims in the areas with food and toiletries.
'Back to zero’
As authorities’ investigation is still rolling, the victims await clarity and support to rebuild their lives amid adversity.
Vendor Camal Magondacan built makeshift tents along the vicinity to continue his business and recover from the catastrophe.
The heat and unfortunate outcomes of the fire did not hinder Magondacan from returning to work, less than a week after the incident took place.
Meanwhile, general merchandise seller Abdullah Sulaiman contemplates how he would restart his life after the disaster, especially now that the estimated damage of his stall ranges from P1M to P1.3M.
“Nawala na nga lahat, pati pwesto mawawala. ‘Yon ang problema. Ang hirap magsimula ng ibang lugar, ibang mukha, [at] ibang kapitbahay na naman,” he said.
(We’ve lost everything, [and] we may even lose our spot. That’s the problem. It’s difficult to start in a different place, with different faces, and new neighbors again.)
Despite uncertainties that lie ahead, Sulaiman still chose to stay in Paco as his family awaits their landlord’s decision to revive the stall.
“Back to zero. Ika nga nila, sabi ng mga matanda, ‘di bali na lang ma-holdap, ‘di bali na lang manakawan, huwag lang masunugan; dahil pag nasunugan ka, para kang bagong panganak,’ na magsisimula [sa] lahat-lahat,” he added.
(Back to zero. As the elders say, ‘it’s better to be robbed, it’s better to be stolen from, just do not be a victim of a fire. Because when there is a fire, it’s like being born anew,’ you’ll start from scratch.”) – Manila Pulse
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