While still reeling from the deadly quake, four families in Medellin town, northern Cebu have suffered from a fire.

Jessan Bolotano, one of severely affected residents, could not help from getting emotional over the ill effects of disasters that beset his family and neighbors one after another.

Bolotano said that his pumpboat was destroyed, which has seemingly taken away his source of livelihood.

He lost their house to a fire that broke out dawn on October 5, 2025.

Bolotano said they were staying outside of their house due to fear for further effects of strong aftershocks. But, they woke up to a fire that gutted their house.

“Sa usa ka pamilok lang, wala na. Nanawagan ko sa naa ron, pwede ba tabangan ko ninyo kapwa ko mananagat kinsa nakakita. Di ko mauwaw manghingi ng tulong kasi ako walang-wala, kahit pera wala,” Bolotano said in tears. 

The fire spread to three adjacent houses. The owners of the said houses were not around when the incident happened as they sought evacuation to distant open spaces.

Three houses were destroyed, while one was partially burned.

“Okay ra man, sir, pero sakit kaayo sa dughan wa mi makuha. Gikan pa mi sa bukid, evacuate ko,  papa [na]stroke man gud lisod kaayo arsahon, balhin-balhin ba…relief goods ug requirement sa eskwelahan nako hurot,” said Jomary Pelones, a quake and fire victim.

The affected families are living in makeshift tents on open spaces in their “sitio” (sub-village), jolted from time to time by aftershocks that have already reached over 8,000, as of this writing.

GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak learned that Bolotano’s in-law, Arguel Escalicas, was the person who posted the viral photographs of residents wrapped in plastic bags to protect themselves from the rain that poured dawn after the tremor struck.

Escalicas said that they have already evacuated when the rain dropped, and that it was Bolotano’s idea to use plastic bags.

The plastic bags are readily available as they use these to hold their fish catch kept in vats.

Escalicas said that though the photographs were posted to inform relatives, these were able to call the attention of responders and donors.

“Ang grabe lang sad namo ga-impact kay kung wala to siya nag-viral nihit kaayo mig ayuda diri, sudlonon baya, sir, layo kaayo sa highway, daghan nangita,” Escalicas said to the news team.

Escalicas’ community is among beneficiaries of tents provided by a partner-embassy and the GMA Kapuso Foundation.