Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez meeting with the fire victims on Saturday.
Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez on Saturday, Sept 13, met with the 256 families from Brgy 27 who lost their homes in a fire on Friday and turned over ₱2.339 million in financial assistance from his personal funds to help them recover and meet their immediate needs.
Benitez gave 217 homeowners – ₱10,000 each, 26 renters – ₱5,000 each and 13 sharers – ₱3,000 each.
Bacolod Councilor Caesar Distrito, spokesman of Benitez, said the assistance came directly from the personal resources of Benitez to ensure immediate help for the victims.
“Congressman Benitez wants our affected families to have something they can use right away — for food, clothes, or whatever their most urgent needs are. This is just the first step. Rebuilding lives and homes will take more time, but he will be with them every step of the way,” Distrito said.
Benitez also committed to seek further support from the national government and to provide additional food assistance in the coming days.
Benitez stressed the importance of clarifying the property ownership status in the affected area to facilitate a smooth and orderly rebuilding process. He stressed that knowing the status of the land is key to determining how best to help families rebuild their homes.
Beyond the immediate relief, Benitez committed to ensuring that families can rebuild their lives with dignity.
“No Bacolodnon should feel alone after a tragedy like this. I will make sure that every family is given a fair chance to start again,” Benitez said.
Benitez also thanked the barangay officials, city personnel, volunteers, and first responders for their quick action and compassion.
“This is a time for all of us to stand together. I extends my heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked tirelessly to keep residents safe and assist in the aftermath of the fire. Together, we will help these families rise again,” Benitez said.
Bacolod Mayor Greg Gastaya said on Saturday that it is very heartwarming to see all the help being given by officials and various groups from the private sector for the fire victims.
A meeting will be held on Monday to come up with a plan on how the fire victims can be assisted in rebuilding their homes, he said.
Initially their findings are that the land where the fire victims were residing is owned by and old government corporation, Gasataya said.*
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