Cooking banned in Mandaue public market

Following last week’s tragic fire that killed one and rendered more than a thousand families homeless, Mandaue City in Cebu province has banned cooking inside the public market to prevent a repeat of the tragedy. Sun-Star Cebu (www.sunstar.com.ph) reported Monday that Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano said he will allow reheating of food but no cooking inside the market. Grilling of food will be allowed but limited only to a certain area, he added. Arson investigators had traced to "unattended cooking" a huge fire that destroyed Guizo and Mantuyong villages in Mandaue City Wednesday last week. But Ouano admitted it will be difficult to implement the law prohibiting eatery operators from cooking the food they serve at their stalls. Still, he expects this rule to be strictly implemented in the new market, which costs more than P400 million. The new market replaced the public market gutted by a fire in 2002. On the other hand, the City Disaster Coordinating Council emphasized the need for the upgrading of the city’s firefighting equipment. "The purchase of brand new hoses and nozzles can give our firefighters some edge in their regular battles," the council said in a resolution. For their part, firefighters said they have not had enough rest after two fires came just days apart. A fire in a furniture factory greeted Fire Prevention Month in Mandaue City last March 2, at the spray booth of Wireworks International in Barangay Labogon. Last March 4, another fire razed two buildings of the Assembly of God and 12 houses nearby before noon in Cambaro village. The third happened in a storage shed in Barangay Cabancalan, reportedly caused by a used cigarette that was thrown into the old shed, which contained sawdust and used wood. Last Wednesday’s fire was the fourth, where some 1,376 families were left homeless. City social welfare officer Candida Comaingking provided the figures Sunday, saying it is already the official count, which her office will submit to the City Council. A fifth razed at least 15 stalls in the nearby public market last Saturday. The Mandaue City Fire Department has been conducting awareness seminars and trainings of the fire brigades of private companies. - GMANews.TV