SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Victims of the fire that gutted some 60 stalls at the Sibalom public market received an initial P5,000 financial assistance and food packs from the Antique provincial government on Feb. 1.
Noemi Tagle of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office said 44 fire victims who received assistance were identified based on the report of the Sibalom Police Station.
“The P5,000 financial assistance is just an initial aide for the victims for there would still be additional,” she said.
Fire victim Teresa Castillon, who lost almost a million pesos worth of goods from the fire, was grateful for the assistance given to them.
“We are going to start all over again,” she said.
Businesswoman Rana Alma Yanguas said she is thankful for the assistance because it could somehow alleviate their situation. She owned a boutique that sold ready-to-wear clothes and nail art and tattoo shop.
“Our machine for nail art was also burned in the fire,” she said.
Another fire victim, Pepito Esmeralda, said he is into tobacco vending.
Esmeralda, who was in tears, said that he was sleeping that midnight when the fire incident happened.
“If I was not able to wake up, I could have lost my life, too,” he said, estimating his total losses to P300,000.
The fire, which is believed to be due to faulty electrical wiring, razed 60 stalls at Sibalom public market on Jan. 24. (PNA)