Daungan tragedy: A story of fear, regret, and hope

BURNED DOWN. Roughly 100 families in the slums of “Daungan” in Balut, Tondo Manila were displaced as their houses were turned into ashes in a matter of minutes due to a conflagration on February 28, 2016.

Black ashes covered every surface. There was none left aside from concrete walls and spare steels. Children were playing barefooted. Mothers were arranging relief donations. Men were cleaning debris and re-establishing their houses. Residents, in general, thrive in the midst of an unprecedented man-made catastrophe they woke up to on the 28th of February.                                                                                                           

DAMAGED. Aida Paleracio discusses the material casualties that surfaced out following the horrible fire.

"It was a fine clear evening turned miserable nightmare,” said Aida Paleracio, a 65-year-old jobless woman sitting in front of their squalid house that was among hundred others burned down in an overcrowded landmass in one of the Philippine capital’s poorest areas.

On that day, the residents were supposed to celebrate the feast of Saint Roque but they welcomed it with high-pitched sirens and shouting as fire engulfed the neighborhood at around 1:30 in the morning.

The incident was very traumatic for the victims specially for Paleracio who is being haunted by the images of crying neighbors and burning houses even in her sleep.

Just three days before the massive fire in Daungan in Balut, Tondo Manila that rendered more than 100 families displaced, her brother-in-law died of heart failure. Every night since then, she was always at his wake assisting visitors until the night another tragedy took place. She ran fast to save her ailing husband and granddaughter whom she left sleeping that night inside their 35 square meter house  primarily made of highly-combustible materials such as wood and plastic.

Her loved ones were saved. But none of their properties were. Her family now solely depends on the relief goods their barangay gives away.

PERSEVERED. Though still in shock, Reynaldo Paulino does not waste any second to rise from the mud brought by the accident; he flattens the land where his house was originally erected.

To accept their fate sure will take time. 61-year-old street sweeper Reynaldo Bautista Paulino said seeing the home he built and the properties he bought out of his own hard work and money burning down was totally heartbreaking. Until now, he still can not believe that such tragedy struck their community.

“I can’t believe that the small house I have always tried to maintain would be burned to the ground in just a matter of minutes,” Paulino lamented as tears fell down on his wrinkled cheeks. “What’s worse is that I was not able to save anything, not even a pair of shoes for my granddaughters.”

Paulino’s house was among the five houses erected in the 80 square meter land shared by five extended families or a total of 48 individuals. He said their space was very limited that it became extra difficult for them to go out of their houses during the fire. His wife, Erlinda Paulino, who got stranded in their house for some minutes, could have died of suffocation should she have stayed there for few seconds more.

The pillar of the Paulinos wants nothing but rehabilitation or relocation. If the latter is not admissible then the former would still be okay. After all, 38 years of living here is something not easy to let go.

DISPLACED. Four families, including Reynaldo’s, erected a self-made shelter alongside their street where they could spend a couple nights at.

TEMPORARY. Barangay 129 officials opened the community’s multi-purpose hall for more or less 30 families who were rendered homeless after the tragedy.

Shaft of light

Daungan, after the tragedy, is not always frown faces and mourning spirits. Somewhere in the middle of darkness, a light persists.

RISE AGAIN. These men are determined to put up again their fire-damaged home so their families would no longer endure the difficulty of residing in an overcrowded hall.

“I don’t want to see my kids sleeping in an overcrowded hall with no maximum comfort,” said Robert Cervese, 38-year-old dishwasher, when asked what pushed him to immediately start re-building his house two days after the fire. “If I don’t start fixing our house, where will my family live?”

Cervese is regretful. He was not with his wife and two little daughters when the event took place. He was working for a Chinese restaurant in Lucena City when he knew about the accident. He recalled how nerve-wrecking it was thinking about how his loved ones were doing in an important situation where his presence was extremely needed. Though he was informed that his family was safe, he said he just could not stop crying as he felt guilty for his absence.

He said he now wants to invest all his energy and time rebuilding their house. Together with his uncle whose house was also burned down in the fire and grandfather who was once a victim of typhoon Haiyan in Leyte, Cervese is more than determined to give his family a safe roof to live in.

SMILE. The children of “Daungan” collect sellable metals out of their combusted neighborhood, a proof that Filipinos tend to look at the positive side of an apparently depressing picture.

REBUILD. Two men revamp their fire-damaged house as a non-government organization gives away materials to the victims in their efforts to reconstruct their wrecked shelters.

Collaborative efforts

Both the government and non-government agencies have provided assistance to the victims. Office of the Barangay Chairman has been coordinating with city officials for the rehabilitation or relocation efforts.

Church, universities and youth organizations have also extended help by personally visiting the place and giving the affected residents ready-to-eat meals, packed goods, and housing materials.

SHARING. In celebration of their congregation’s feast, members of one church roam around the town and hand the victims cooked meals.

Though some victims cry foul over the unaffected families’ malpractice of asking for relief donations as though their houses also got burned, the barangay assured that all victims would get what is due them and that only those who were truly affected would be able to avail of housing perks should the agreement with the city hall be settled.

In the event of any disaster, unity is needed. The community that slumped to the mud shall rise together so no one will be left behind.

The unfortunate turn of events for the people of Daungan sure left a major scar in their consciousness; for some, trauma. But on top of everything, the least they could extract from this debacle is the lesson of camaraderie, love, generosity and faith.

The residents might have lost their shelters, but they sure have grown wiser and stronger this time.

INSPIRATION. Two kids cheer on their father as the latter tries to fix their home.

---BMS/GMA Public Affairs