Navotas fire forces class suspension at public school

UPDATED 10:10 a.m. - The weekend fire that killed at least 12 people and rendered more than 360 families homeless at a residential area in Navotas City has also forced the suspension of classes at a nearby public school. Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco said elementary and high school classes at the San Roque National High School were suspended as the school was being used as an evacuation center and because the fire affected part of the school. “Ang isang building doon nasunog din po. Siyempre gusto natin masigurado ang safety ng bata at tingnan ang building, baka may bumagsak doon," Tiangco said in an interview on dzBB radio Monday. (Part of the school was affected by the fire. We want to ensure the safety of the pupils, and also inspect the building for possible problems.) However, a separate report by dzBB’s Allan Gatus said officials of the school are now weighing their options on how to accommodate the families without disrupting the students’ school calendar. More than 300 families affected by last weekend’s fire Sunday spent a crowded night at the San Roque National High School and a nearby chapel. Several of the affected residents had to sleep standing up due to the cramped space in the school while other families set up tents and sleeping mats outside the school building, the dzBB report said. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said at least 100 houses made of light and semi-concrete materials were destroyed in the fire that started past 11:00 p.m. on Saturday. In its 10 p.m. Sunday report, the NDRRMC said the fire displaced some 366 families (or 1,830 people). At least 12 were killed, including:

Jairod Salonga, 14;

Maria Angelica Salonga, 11;

Maria Natalia Salonga, 10;

Will Harvey Agarin, 1-1/2 years old;

Jessie Jane Agarin, 3;

Jennifer Jane Agarin, 30;

William Agarin, 50;

George Milagros, 29;

Fitz Gerald Blancaflor, 10;

Carlos Blancaflor, 92;

Remedios Ostillano, 64, and

Jeric Tambor, 13. At least two people — Dennis Peñaranda, 26; and Marvin Gomez, 64 — suffered lacerations, while the damage to property was estimated at P5 million. – VVP, GMANews.TV