University of the Philippines
Diliman

University of the Philippines
Diliman

Campus

Fire hits parts of UPD

Anna Regidor and Bino Gamba - Diliman Information Office
May 03, 2022 | UPDate Online > Campus
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UP Diliman (UPD) woke up to a grim morning on May 2 as fire razed parts of Village A to the ground.

According to reports, the fire began at 5:20 a.m. and reached the second alarm soon after. The authorities declared the fire out at 7 a.m. Three minors, two adults, two senior citizens, and one person with disability were reported dead, and around 250 families were affected or completely displaced.

Drone footage of the fire. Screenshot from a video of Loyd Bien Abrena’s Facebook page

Agence France-Presse reports Quezon City senior fire officer Greg Bichayda as saying that some of the casualties were trapped inside their homes “as the fire spread quickly.”

Parts of Village A razed by fire. Photo by Jefferson Villacruz, UPDIO

Based on initial assessments, the fire destroyed 80 houses and damaged P150,000 worth of properties.

Among those affected were UPD personnel from various units including the Campus Maintenance Office, Institute of Chemistry, Office of the University Registrar, and the PABX/Utilities Management Team.

The aftermath of the fire at Village A. Photo by Jefferson Villacruz, UPDIO

Authorities are still investigating what caused the fire, which was reported to have begun from the second floor of a house in the area, then rapidly spread to adjacent homes made of light materials.

The local government unit was quick to act, with Quezon City Hall and Barangay UP Campus setting up temporary shelters in the Village A basketball court and Advincula Hall near the Bonsai Garden, respectively.

Temporary shelters provided by the Quezon City government set up at the Village A basketball court. Photo by Bino C. Gamba, UPDIO

The UPD community was also quick to respond, with the grounds of the Environmental and Energy Engineering Building of the UPD College of Engineering serving as command center and one of the drop-off points of in-kind assistance for the affected residents. The other one is the Village A basketball court. 

The College of Engineering, through its Environmental and Energy Engineering Building, now serving as command center and one of the drop-off points of in-kind assistance for the affected residents. Photo by Bino C. Gamba, UPDIO

UPD Chancellor Fidel R. Nemenzo also visited the affected families and made rounds at the command center and temporary shelters.

There are also donation drives facilitated by UPD organizations like the College of Arts and Letters Student Council, UP COVID-19 Response Volunteers, and UP Kilos Na Multisectoral Alliance for the benefit of the displaced families.

For the list of donation drives, please visit https://upd.edu.ph/tabang-para-sa-village-a/.