Mandaue fire turns mom’s back-to-school plans to ash

Maria Leonara Llorag, a 35-year-old native resident, purok leader, and a mother of two, sorts through donated clothes after the fire in Barangay Labogon, Mandaue burned their house. | CDN Digital Photo via Daryll Galindo

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Maria Leonara Llorag, a 35-year-old native resident of Barangay Labogon and a mother of two, had already bought school supplies for the upcoming school year. Alas, the recent fire that hit the residents of Sitio Canumay, Barangay Labogon in Mandaue City turned the school supplies into ashes.

Llorag and her family are one of the 55 families that were affected by the fire in Barangay Labogon in Mandaue City on Wednesday, June 11. Based on a report from the barangay, a total of 227 individuals were affected by the recent fire in Sitio Canumay.

According to Labogon Barangay Captain Helbert Nejana, a phone charger that was left plugged in could’ve been the cause of the fire, although the Mandaue City Fire Office’s investigation into the actual cause of the fire is still ongoing.

Regardless of what truly caused the fire, Llorag, who was also a local purok leader, and several other families in Brgy. Labogon lost their homes as the fire quickly grew due to the light materials most of the houses were made of.

READ: Mandaue: Unplugged charger eyed in Labogon fire that razed 55 houses

Talking about their situation, Llorag told CDN Digital in an interview that they’re not really okay after the fire had consumed everything for them.

“We’re not really okay, but it is what it is. We can’t really do anything about it. We’ve got no choice after all,” Llorag shared in Cebuano.

After the fire had razed their home, Llorag and her family, as well as the other victims of the fire, are currently staying in tents provided by the Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office at the evacuation center in the Labogon Gymnasium.

In their tent, Llorag is with her children and shares the space with some of her nephews. Besides her family, Llorag’s younger siblings and their respective families, as well as other relatives, shared the same fate as hers.

Just like other evacuees, Llorag wasn’t able to save most of their belongings. No furniture, no clothes, and — as school is about to start — no school supplies were saved from the fiery fate that befell them.

Llorag planned to enroll her children, one in high school and one in nursery, by the end of this week, before the fire burned through their home.

What’s worse for them is that the fire also turned important school documents, such as report cards and birth certificates, into ash.

“We haven’t enrolled them yet. One of my child’s report cards was also burned. Birth [certificates] as well,” Llorag revealed.

At the time CDN Digital interviewed her, Llorag was sorting through donated clothes, most of which came from other purok leaders and other concerned citizens, such as her son’s classmates.

However, Llorag still needs uniforms for her children; she listed it as one of her main concerns at the moment, besides food and potable water for their consumption.

According to Llorag, her nephews, as well as most of their neighbors, share the same conundrum as school is about to start next week.

Thankfully, food, water, and a basic survival kit (such as blankets and soaps) were provided at the evacuation center as well as from gracious donors. However, securing school supplies is definitely one of their top priorities.

“It’s definitely my number one concern,” Llorag said.

When CDN Digital interviewed Llorag, her husband was back at their burned-down house, trying to salvage scrap metal and sell it for profit. She stated that they planned to go back where their house once stood and continue living there.

“We’re unsure on how to do it, but we’ll definitely go back,” Llorag said. /csl