BACOLOD City — After nearly 15 days of staying at the Apolinario Mabini Elementary School, 290 families, or more than a thousand individuals, displaced by the September 12 fire in Barangay 27 have left the evacuation center and started rebuilding their homes.
Mayor Greg Gasataya made the announcement on Saturday, September 27, during the Bacolod Day celebration held as part of the 39th Negros Trade Fair at the SMX Convention Center, SM Aura Premier in Taguig.
This year’s Bacolod Day also featured the launching of the MassKara Festival 2025 and the unveiling of its official theme song, “One Smile, One City, One Heart.”
Gasataya lauded the resilience of Bacolodnons and Negrenses in the face of adversities.
“Kadamu na kita na experience since the 1980s up to now. Just last month, about 1,000 individuals were affected when a barangay caught fire. But despite those challenges, all 290 families have already left the evacuation center,” he said.
The city government earlier released financial assistance to fire-affected households: 144 families whose houses were destroyed each received P15,000, one household with a partially damaged house received P10,000, while sharers and renters each received P5,000.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Maria Esperanza Christina Frasco also graced the Bacolod Day celebration, encouraging visitors to experience Bacolod’s cuisine, heritage streets, MassKara Festival, and natural attractions. She also invited everyone to take part in the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto Asia and the Pacific event in November.
Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Vice Mayor Claudio Jesus Puentevella, city councilors, and other local officials were also present at the celebration./PN
