TWO NIGHTS. Two fires. Hundreds of homes destroyed.
When hundreds of homes burn and families lose everything, we cannot simply rebuild and wait for the next tragedy.
Building codes and fire safety regulations must be enforced—even in so-called “rights” or informal settlement areas.
If fire trucks cannot reach homes because alleys are barely one meter wide, that is not simply a firefighting problem. It is a planning and enforcement failure.
And when families rent homes built without adequate fire safety, we must ask: Who is holding the landlords accountable? People who pay rent deserve safe housing, not structures that put their lives and possessions at risk.
Three families living in one house is not proof of ownership. It is a reminder of how many lives can be devastated when disaster strikes.
Compassion does not mean abandoning enforcement. It means protecting the people most vulnerable to these tragedies.
Davao City must enforce building codes, require safe access for emergency responders, and hold property owners accountable—regardless of where the structures stand.
We cannot prevent every fire. But we can stop treating preventable risks as an acceptable way of life.
The right to housing must never come at the expense of the right to safety.
How many more families must lose everything before enforcement becomes a priority?
