The City Disaster Coordinating Council in an emergency meeting presided by its chair, City Mayor Sammy Co has declared the devastated Agora  “in a state of calamity” as the loss of the property affects majority of its populace not only in Pagadian City but the province as well, being the main public market in her capital city.

The catastrophic fire totally ruined the vegetable and dried fish sections and partly engulfed the fish and meat sections which destruction has totaled to P30-M as estimated by the CDCC based on the costs of each building.

Mayor Sammy Co with Councilor Arnold Gavenia positioned at the unfinished Agora perimeter building City make sure that fire won't spread on it.

With the huge amount cut from his calamity fund, Mayor Co said he won’t mind having P3-M left (though it’s still on the second quarter of the year), if only to hasten the resumption of normal business at Agora.

Nevertheless, the CDCC passed three separate resolutions seeking financial assistance from the Provincial Government of Zamboanga del Sur through Governor Auring E. Cerilles, First District Congressman Victor J. Yu and National Disaster Coordinating Council for the construction of the dried fish section and repair of the fish and meat sections.

Origin of fire

A security guard, Rito Alconera reported to Market Superintendent Enrique Alawi that the fire started at the middle portion of the vegetable section where flammable substance like cooking oil are sold here while several bakeries and cafés were also inside.

The fire started at about 9:23 in the evening of April 26 and was declared under control by Fire Ground Commander Supt. Gerson S. Sisona, the provincial fire marshall two hours later.

For Ric delos Reyes, president of Sari-saring Gulay Vendor Multipurpose Cooperative aired his grief over the incident. According to him during the day he procured for he lost bags of mongo seed good for the next weeks and plenty of onions in anticipation that the price will go up.

Co did not escape from public speculation accusing his administration to have caused the disaster as a ploy to effect the transfer of the ukay-ukay section (then settled at the dried fish section); carenderias, bakeries, cafés and video-ke stores to the new agora perimeter.

Co, in a press conference, said he expected it already but vehemently denied it.  “Why should we damage our own property to spend more for relocation of the victims and reconstruction of the structures?” he remarked.

He cited to have successfully implemented several projects with obvious resistance from the businessmen but ultimately able to convince them diplomatically, such as the rehabilitation of drainage canals, installation of street lights and the latest is the relocation of the shopping center occupants in favor of the soon-to-rise 5-storey regional and business complex.

Last update : 28-04-2008 19:21

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