86-yr-old grandma loses all to Pandacan fire: life savings, pet dog, senior citizen ID

An 86-year-old grandmother on Saturday lost to a huge fire literally everything that mattered to her: from her life savings and maintenance medicines to her most-prized senior citizen ID and the only companion she had left, her trusty pet dog, Whitey.

Before the flames snatched away all her hard-earned possession, Matilde Orion lived at Barangay 865 in Pandacan, Manila with her loyal pet, according to a report by Katrina Son on GMA News 24 Oras Weekend on Saturday.

It was there in their little neighborhood that Orion made a living by selling bananas every day. She would then use her day's earnings to buy her food and medicine, and keep what little is left as her savings.

At 10:38 a.m. on Saturday, a fire broke out in Orion's village and in an instant engulfed her home as well as those of her neighbors. Due to its intensity, the fire reached Task Force Bravo barely 30 minutes after the first alarm was raised.

Amid all the confusion, all Orion could think of — aside, of course, from her pet — were two of the most important things she had left.

"Yung senior [citizen card] ko at tsaka 'yung aking Santo Niño! Yung Santo Niño ko," was all Orion kept uttering in between sobs, while slumped on a chair.

Maricel Gabitana, who lived in the area for 50 years, also lamented her situation.

"Eh akala namin mapapatay agad tapos nung ano na, biglang umano na yung apoy, talgang umano na 'yung usok," she said.

It was put out hours later at 2:50 p.m., but not before dealing an estimated P15 million in property damage, according to Fire Superintendent Roberto Samillano Jr, deputy fire marshal of the Manila Fire.

The fire also caused the collapse of a Skyway project in the area.

"Merong nadamay na portion nung skyway project dahil sa tindi ng init. Ah, hindi na nakayanan ng pundasyon ng sinasabing skyway kaya ito ay bumagsak, yung isang portion nito" Samillano said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/MDM, GMA News