Local legislators are calling for an in-depth investigation on the March 11, 2023 Baguio public market fire to shed light on the real cause of the said incident that gutted almost one third of the market area.
In a resolution authored by councilor Maria Mylen Victoria G. Yaranon, while the origin of the latest calamity that struck the city remains unknown, the local legislative body wants to call for a full blown investigation of the said fire incident to find out whether or not the fire was caused by fortuitous events or otherwise.
Earlier a fire that lasted for more than 5 hours ravaged Bocks 3 and 4 of the Baguio city public market on the night of March 11, 2023 up to the wee hours of March 12, 2023.
Further, the fire has caused damages of more or less P24 million as per initial reports from arson investigators although the same is expected to significantly increase in the coming days with the additional damage reports and losses that will be reported by the almost 1,700 vendors who were displaced by the said fire.
On the other hand, local legislators also requested the Baguio City Market Authority (BCMA) to temporarily relocate the fire-displaced vendors in other places within the city market for them to be able to continue earning a living.
In a separate resolution authored by Councilor Yaranon, she pointed out that there is a need for the fire-displaced vendors to be immediately relocated to a more ideal location where both they and the market goers will not suffer any inconvenience.
At present, there is an ongoing clearing operation within the burned area of the city public market to remove the debris that were left by the fire to help arson investigators ascertain the real cause of the said fire incident.
Moreover, the affected vendors had been temporarily relocated along various roads surrounding the city public market awaiting further announcements on when will be the burned area be ready for occupation for them to be able to continue their businesses.
At the same time, local legislators strongly urged the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to recommend the declaration of a state of calamity over the portion of the Baguio city market razed down by the recent fire that ravaged portions of the market facility.
In a separate resolution authored by Councilor Betty Lourdes F. Tabanda, it claimed that on June 17, 2019, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and management Council (NDRRMC) issued memorandum Order No. 60, series of 2019 outlining the revised guidelines for the declaration of a state of calamity where the said order stated that the declaration and lifting of the state of calamity may be issued primarily by the Sanggunian, upon the recommendation of the LDRRMC of the relevant local government unit adhering to the criteria set forth in the set of guidelines.
