The Bacolod City government is addressing the need for adequate water supply to put fires out and is preparing the release of P580,000 in assistance to 69 families whose homes were hit by a fire in Purok Magnolia, Barangay 7, Bacolod City, on July 7.
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez at a press conference on Monday, July 10, said he has created a Task Force El Niño to attend to the water needs of the city amid an expected dry spell.
He also reiterated that the lack of fire hydrants and the existence of 119 red zones, or communities in the city that cannot be reached by firetrucks because of narrow pathways, are being acted on.
He said aside from asking Baciwa-PrimeWater to ensure that the 135 fire hydrants in Bacolod City work, the purchase of five water tankers to back up the water needs of firetrucks has been proposed.
The creation fire lanes in the 119 red zones is also being studied, he said.
Meanwhile, the release of financial assistance to the 69 families affected by the fire in Purok Magnolia is being prepared, City Social Welfare Officer Sally Abelarde said.
There were 23 whose houses were destroyed, one was damaged, while 33 other families were renters and 12 were sharers, she said.
The city government will give P15,000 to each of the families whose houses were destroyed, P10,000 for the damaged house and P5,000 each for sharers and renters, she said, which totals P580,000.
The paper work for the release of the assistance is being processed, Abelarde said.*