Family in Buaya Balbalan loses house to fire

After their house was razed by fire, a family in Buaya, Balbalan, has no choice but to stay in a makeshift camp that construction workers used to occupy.

The wooden house of couple Fernandez and Marcela Camma, which they share with their three children, was engulfed by fire around 3:00 PM on November 23, 2022.

Shiela Tebag-Bucalen, the couple’s niece, told Guru Press Cordillera that the fire was believed to have been caused by the lit wood which Marcela thought she already extinguished before going to the rice field.

Back then, the only one left in the house was their firstborn who has a special need.

Shiela shared that no one was harmed during the incident. However, the family was not able to salvage anything from the house and completely lost all their belongings and valuables to the fire.

Having no place to go, the family was left with no other choice but to occupy the temporary camp abandoned by the construction workers in Buaya.

The said camp was made of plywood and galvanized iron. It has no furniture and no flooring.

The family’s source of income

Shiela relayed that both Fernandez and Marcela are farmers and that what they earn is barely enough to cover their daily expenses and the former’s medicine.

Fernandez was diagnosed with Mature B- Cell Neoplasm consistent with Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma in 2019. Through the help of their relatives and other donors, he was able to complete and get through his chemotherapy. Right now, he is still taking some medicines.

Shiela added that the couple’s first child has a special need and that their youngest, who is 16 years old, is attending school. Their middle child, who works as a laborer, is the only one helping the couple with their daily needs.

For donation

Initial help was already lent by some of their relatives and the members of the Buaya community, such as clothes, blankets, and kitchen utensils for them to use.

Should you want to help the family with their necessary needs and start again, you can send any amount to Sheila Bucalen’s GCash, 09606141247.

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