DSWD to check accreditation of razed orphanage in Roxas
The Department of Social Welfare and Development 6 will check the documents of the Our Lady of Grace Academy in Roxas City which operates the orphanage that caught fire over the weekend to determine whether the facility is accredited by the agency, Regional Director Minda Brigoli said.
Three infant-orphans were saved during the fire Saturday dawn.
The academy, which operates as an orphanage under the Dominican Sisters, has in its custody 28 orphans, three of whom are new born babies, investigation of the Roxas City Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) showed.
Fire Officer 2 Ramil Arquisola said the fire started around 4:35 a.m. just when the nuns and the 25 other orphans were attending the misa de gallo in Brgy. Luctugan, Roxas City.
Only the four helpers and the three babies were left in the building.
FO1 Raymond Barroa said the babies were rescued by Christian Chu, who was the first to respond to the fire scene.
The fire, which reached the second alarm, engulfed 12 rooms and portions of the chapel.
Firefighters were able to salvage a single room at the second floor and a kitchen, Barroa said.
The fire caused by an overheated ceiling fan resulted to an estimated damage of about P1.2 million, the BFP said.
The orphans have already been taken cared of because the academy has enough facility to accommodate the affected children, Barroa said.*PNA
