Dagupan Fire Follies

Fires in the Philippines can be an awful sight. One spark and a whole shanty town can go up in smoke. Recently a fire in Dagupan City razed 60 houses.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/03/30/fire-in-dagupan-city-leaves-60-houses-razed/

Around 60 houses were gutted by a fire incident at around 12:15 noon today, March 30, in Sitio Riverside, Barangay Pantal, this city.

Fire Superintendent Georgian Pascua, BFP Pangasinan fire marshal, said the fire was put out at 2:02 PM.

 

The fire quickly spread from one house to another as they were made of light materials and are built close to each other.

 

Firetrucks from Dagupan BFP, Panda fire volunteers, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office immediately rushed to the scene but initially had a hard time getting near the incident.

It's just like so many other fires. The fire spreads quickly because the shanties are built out of light materials and are close to each other and the fire department has a difficult time getting near the scene because everything is close together. You can't navigate a firetruck through a shantytown. It's like a warren.

Duterte's lackey Bong Go helped these people out by distributing face masks and computer tablets which is kind of strange because these people need homes not computer tablets. Where would they store such devices anyway?

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/04/16/news/regions/pangasinan-fire-victims-get-bong-gos-assistance/864197/

SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go’s outreach team distributed assistance on April 13, 2021 to 124 families (476 individuals) in Barangay Pantal, Dagupan City, Pangasinan, who lost their homes to a recent fire.

The beneficiaries received meals, food packs, masks, face shields, and vitamins in a distribution activity conducted in batches while complying with necessary health and safety protocols to avoid the further spread of Covid-19.

“Let us first follow the government. Observe social distancing, wash hands, and if it is not necessary, do not go out of your homes,” the senator reminded the victims.

Wow! Great advice. Let us first follow the government? Do not go out of your homes?  Their homes just burned down!! What is Go even doing? If anything shows that Go is just for show and is nothing but a propaganda tool for the Duterte administration it has to be this stupid display.

The city had a slightly better offer than Bong Go for these newly homeless people. They gave each family materials to rebuild their shanties.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1136911

The city government here has distributed construction materials to the fire victims following the donation drive, Sagip Dagupeño, participated in by individuals, officials, and organizations.

 

Each of the 79 house owners composed of 126 families received on Thursday 100 hollow blocks, 10 bags of cement, 12 tin roofs, nails, bulbs, and electrical junction boxes to start rebuilding their houses.

 

In his speech during the turn-over of construction materials, Mayor Marc Brian Lim thanked the donors who are from Dagupan City and other towns and cities of Pangasinan.

 

“They brought clothes, foods, medicines, hygiene kits, and other needs of the fire victims while they stayed at the evacuation centers,” he said.

Two things here. First of all there are 79 house owners composed of 126 families!! That is an average of almost two families per house. Bong Go gave assistance to 476 individuals. Don't forget that every one is packed in tight. Toss in the inevitable chickens, dogs, cats, and maybe even a pig as well as problems with proper sanitation and you have quite a jam-packed filthy mess.

Second of all the city is allowing these people to repeat the same mistakes. They are allowing them to rebuild this dangerous shantytown wth the same lightweight, flammable materials. They are just asking for disaster. Hopefully another fire won't start but that is not likely. It is the essence of failure to knowingly allow the same mistakes to be repeated.