A massive fire in Parola Compound, Delpan, Binondo displaced 7,123 residents or 2,134 families, destroying 1,266 homes and structures in Barangay 275, Zone 25 on Saturday, May 23.
Among those affected were 310 senior citizens and more than 2,700 minors, underscoring the heavy toll on vulnerable groups.
The Manila city government immediately mobilized relief operations. Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, and Manila Department of Social Welfare (MDSW) chief Jay Dela Fuente personally oversaw the distribution of aid.
Families received hot meals, clean drinking water, toiletries, and tents, with many evacuees directed to the Delpan Sports Complex while others stayed near the fire site to salvage belongings.
Relief efforts also extended to nearby communities. Under the city’s Kaagapay Program, Domagoso led assistance distribution in District 1, Tondo, where 2,509 beneficiaries received aid at Rosauro Almario Elementary School.
Authorities confirmed that relief and recovery operations remain ongoing, with priority given to children, senior citizens, and other vulnerable groups.
The city continues to coordinate further aid distribution and assess long-term recovery needs for the thousands of displaced residents.
The fire, which escalated rapidly through tightly packed homes, was raised to multiple alarms and Task Force levels before being declared out at 1:16 a.m. Sunday.
Investigations into its cause are still underway. (Diann Calucin)
