BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – The city’s first village named in honor the family of the first city mayor topped the list of redzones here as City Hall takes measures to mitigate fire hazards in more than half of its 61 barangays (villages).
Villamonte, an urban village and the seventh most populous area here, had 18 areas in all, an updated list provided by its village chief, Rommel Flores, showed.
Villamonte, originally Barrio Obrero, takes its name from the Montelibano family where the settlement stands.
The 18 puroks included were: Cabacauan, Akishola, Pagkakaisa, Cubay, Herbabuena, Goopio, Bayanihan, Hervias Dos, Hervias Tres,
Malvar Cubay, Consuelo, Riverbank, Bugnay, Medalla Milagrosa, Sabes, Isla, Gugma, Sulom Dos, and Banawe.
Aside from Villamonte, other populous villages in the list includes: Mandalagan, Bata, Granada, Estefania, Vista Alegre, Pahanocoy, Handumanan, Tangub, Sum-ag, Punta Taytay, Cabug, and Alijis.
Bacolod Fire Warden, Superintendent Jenny Mae Maisip told DNX a redzone or a fire-prone area is declared over an area where houses are hard to reach for firetrucks, have narrow roads and where houses are made of light materials.
She added one of the plans City Hall and the local fire bureau discussed was to provide fire extinguishers to these redzones that will allow residents to help put out fires on top of an information campaign.
Flores told DNX the barangay will buy these fire extinguishers that will be placed in chapels and daycare centers and other barangay facilities.
