• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Bacolod City government, through its Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), may release this week the financial assistance to victims of a fire that hit 20 houses in Barangay 18 Saturday.
Juan Paulo Sajo, social services specialist of the DSSD, said in a press conference April 15 that based on their official validated report, as of April 14, there were 45 families, or 116 individuals, affected by the fire that destroyed 19 houses and damaged one other.
The city will release P15,000 in cash assistance to each household whose house was destroyed, P10,000 for those damaged, and P5,000 for sharers and renters.
“We are now preparing the payroll for the bayad agad, hopefully this week na release na,” Sajo said.
The fire victims, who have been staying in the barangay’s evacuation center, also earlier received food packs and other basic necessities from the city government.
The Bacolod Bureau of Fire Protection earlier said the fire damage reached P3 million, and arson investigators were looking into faulty electrical wiring as the cause of fire. | CGC