Boracay Talipapa Bukid vendors due for relocation

                                                                                                                                                 PHOTOS ALAN PALMA SR

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

The municipal government of Malay is relocating the Talipapa Bukid vendors who lost their market stalls in a fire.

Three days after the Boracay fire tragedy, 95 fish, meat, fruits and vegetable vendors will be temporarily relocated in Sitio Kipot in Barangay Manoc-Manoc, a local official said. 

Malay Sangguniang Bayan member Jupiter Aelred Gallenero, who is also the Boracay Fire Incident Management commandeer, said the vendors would be accommodated on Saturday in their new vending site, located about 200 meters away from the main road of Barangay Manoc-Manoc. 

The incident management team met with the vendors and their leaders in a dialogue on June 19. The dialogue was also attended by the Bureau of Fire Protection-Boracay, Municipal Health Office and the Boracay Tourist Assistance Center officials.  

Gallenero said the municipal government will help the vendors to put up their market stalls in the 1,000 square meter private property in Sitio Kipot. 

He said the relocation site will be used for free by the vendors for the next three months as the municipal government also plans to construct a standard public market in the area. 

“After three months, siguro may konting renta ang mga vendors. Ang LGU may plano to have a public market sa lugar,” added Gallenero. 

Meanwhile, fire authorities are still investigating the cause and origin of the fire that gutted hundreds of market stalls and houses in Talipapa Bukid in Sitio Manggayad on June 17, said Fire Officer 3 Franklin Arubang, arson investigator of BFP-Boracay. 

Arubang said, “BFP is considering all angles of the fire incident in Talipapa Bukid to help them determine the cause, circumstances and origin.”

The fire lasted for two hours before it was declared under control. 

BFP-Boracay chief Inspector Stephen Jardeleza said they received a fire call at about 2:50 p.m. on June 17. 

Five fire trucks of BFP-Boracay, Boracay Action Group and Shangri-La Resort and fire brigade and rescue volunteers were immediately dispatched to the area. Damage to property was initially placed at P20-million. No casualties or missing persons were reported.

“This is a wake-up call for the BFP and fire brigade volunteers to improve their fire fighting capability and all stakeholders, and the local government to observe fire safety measures and follow the Fire Code,” Jardeleza said. 

To strengthen community response, the BFP is eyeing to activate volunteer fire brigades in Barangay Manoc-Manoc especially for fire-prone areas. 

Aside from Talipapa Bukid, three areas in Barangay Manoc-Manoc were also identified by BFP as fire-prone, most of these areas have houses made of light materials.

Meanwhile, forty people remained billeted in Manoc-Manoc covered court, one of the designated evacuation centers. 

Some 120 families received food packs, relief goods, used clothings and medical assistance from non-government organizations and the local officials. 

As of yesterday, some 800 individuals were listed by the local social welfare office as victims of the Boracay fire in Talipapa Bukid.