May 15, 2026
by Zeth Angelo Bacaoco
Hundreds of families in Barangay 23-C are receiving assistance from the Davao City Government after a fire hit several puroks in the area on May 8, 2026, leaving many residents displaced and in need of immediate support.
The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) says around 457 families from four puroks are affected by the fire. Based on partial and unofficial data, the blaze damaged an estimated 225 houses and partially damaged around 10 more homes, forcing residents to leave behind their belongings and seek temporary shelter.
Among those affected are house owners, sharers, renters, and boarders, showing how the fire affected not only families who own homes but also people renting rooms or sharing spaces in the crowded community. For many residents, the incident does not only mean the loss of a house. It also means the sudden loss of clothes, documents, school supplies, small appliances, livelihood materials, and personal items accumulated over years of hard work.
After the fire, city personnel immediately mobilized to assist the affected families. The CSWDO installed modular tents, established child-friendly spaces, distributed food and non-food items, and provided psychological first aid to help residents cope with the trauma of the incident. The city’s mobile kitchen was also deployed to serve hot meals to evacuees.
Medical teams from the City Health Office (CHO) were stationed in the area to attend to the health needs of affected residents. The CHO also provided disinfection and sanitation services to help maintain cleanliness and prevent possible health problems in evacuation areas.
Other city offices also joined the response. The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office provided safety assistance, while the Public Safety and Security Office and Task Force Davao helped maintain peace and order. The City Mayor’s Office also extended food assistance to the affected families.
The residents temporarily stayed at the Barangay 23-C Gym and Zonta Elementary School while the city continued its validation of the affected individuals. The final list of beneficiaries would be used to determine who qualified for emergency shelter assistance.
For the families affected by the fire, the days after the incident were filled with uncertainty. Some residents returned to the area hoping to recover anything that survived the flames. Others stayed in evacuation areas, waiting for updates from city personnel and trying to rebuild their sense of safety.
The fire also highlights the vulnerability of communities where houses are built closely together. In crowded areas, a fire can spread quickly and affect many families within minutes. This makes fire prevention, community awareness, and emergency preparedness important, especially in densely populated barangays.
Despite the difficulty, the response showed how local government offices, barangay personnel, national agencies, private groups, and volunteers worked together during emergencies. Assistance continued as validation efforts went on and as the needs of displaced residents became clearer.
For the city, the priority remained the safety, health, and immediate recovery of the affected families. While rebuilding homes would take time, the continued support from the city gave residents a starting point after the loss.
The May 8 fire became another reminder that disasters can happen suddenly, changing lives in a single afternoon. For the families of Barangay 23-C, recovery began not only with food, shelter, and medical assistance, but also with the hope that their community would rise again from what the flames had taken.