DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 10 May 2026) – Brylle Cyrus Cab did not expect to celebrate his 39th birthday on May 9 as a “bakwit” inside a dark evacuation center.
His rider friends dropped by to help make the tragedy feel lighter. They brought roasted chicken, some cake and the usual birthday food, lit and blew the candle on the cake, and sang “Happy Birthday” at the Zonta Elementary School in Barangay 23-C, where the ‘bakwits’ from the May 8 fire sought refuge.
Records from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) showed as of 9:45 p.m. on May 9 that 166 houses in Barangay 23-C went up in smoke around 8 p.m. on May 8.
Still in high spirits despite the fire burning most of his belongings, Cab said he would just wait out the next few days in the evacuation center.
At least 316 families were affected by the fire that destroyed an estimated P25 million, the CSWDO said.
The CSWDO estimated at least P25.636 million in damage.
From the initial assessment, there were around 166 homeowners, 121 sharers, 29 renters, and 12 boarders directly affected by the fire and recorded living inside two evacuation centers.
Brylle Cyrus Cab spent his 39th birthday inside the Zonta evacuation center, with friends dropping by to give him a birthday treat. MindaNews photos by YAS D. OCAMPO
Both Zonta Elementary and Barangay 23-C Mini Forest Gym were cramped, with most members of the Sama community in the Mini-Forest Gym.
Zonta, where Brylle and his family are staying in the meantime, is dark, with only a few light bulbs shared by hundreds of individuals.
But even so, grandmothers like Sarkia dela Costa, a 56-year-old Tausug homeowner, has been up all night since the fire hit late Friday night.
When social workers brought the latest set of foldable neon green tents into the Zonta evacuation center, Sarkia was quick to place her young grandchild to guard the entrance.
Social workers conduct assessment of evacuees at the Mini-Forest Gym, one of two centers housing evacuees of the May 8 fire at Barangay 23-C. MindaNews photo by YAS D OCAMPO
She would carry what’s left of her belongings parked outside the gym, even if she has to do it herself.
It turns out that Sarkia was among the first to arrive at the gym. However, along the way, they still did not have privacy tents, or partitions in the evacuation center, and had been waiting almost 24 hours since the fire hit.
“Wala pa akong tulog,” (I havent’ slept), she said.
Lorrie Mae Larodes, 29, and her three children and Sarkia took turns watching their clump of belongings outside the gym, where heavy rains had turned the ground muddy and slippery.
Social workers at both sites are managing the spaces and attending to issues that usually happen inside evacuation centers.
In one such partition, two families fought over ownership, with one claiming they were there first while another claimed there was no one when they arrived.
Overhearing the conflict, 27-year-old salesboy Flores Badan Valera said he was amused. “Wala man gani mi nag reklamo nga kami wala pay tent,” (We didn’t even complain that we have no tents),” he told MindaNews.
According to an earlier fire incident report, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said the blaze started at 8:05 p.m., at Purok 4.
The fire spread across four puroks, covering an area of more than 8,000 square meters.
An hour later, responders raised a fourth alarm, as other rescuers were nervously monitoring rivers elsewhere. Heavy rains were causing nearby river systems to reach Code Red.
Residents in areas such as Matina Pangi were reminded to evacuate, according to the barangay’s Facebook Page.
The Bureau of Fire Protection declared fire under control by 11:44 p.m. on May 8 while fire out was declared by 1:15 a.m. on May 9.
Cab said most of his belongings were burned down, as he prioritized his younger sibling’s home, a short sprint from his own.
Fire investigators are looking into the incident. (Yas D. Ocampo / MindaNews)
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