MANDALUYONG City Mayor Benhur Abalos on Sunday declared a state of calamity in Barangay Addition Hills, an area of which was razed by fire.
The fire on Welfareville Compound last Nov. 25 reached general alarm, the highest alarm level.
Abalos said that declaring a state of calamity will allow the city government to put to use its calamity funds to aid victims of the worst fire in the city’s history.
The blaze, which destroyed around 800 houses, spanning four blocks in the area Blocks—22, 23, 24, and 32, left some 1,700 families homeless and were brought to evacuation centers in the Mandaluyong Gym, Addition Hills Integrated School, and Hardin ng Pag-asa Park.
The city government has started granting a financial aid of P8,000 to owners of the razed houses, P5,000 to co-owners and P3,000 to tenants.
The fire caused an estimated damage of P6 million, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection.
A residential care facility of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for orphaned or abused children behind the Welfareville Compound, meanwhile, was spared the fire owing to a protective firewall.
In San Juan City, meanwhile, some 500 families were left homeless after another fire struck a residential area in Barangay West Crame early Sunday.
Authorities were still investigating the cause of the blaze that started at a house on 3rd Street at past 2 a.m.
Several residents in the area said two men threw a bottle containing gas at the house, causing an explosion.
The fire quickly spread to adjoining houses made of light materials. The homeless victims sought shelter at a church nearby. No one was hurt in the fire.