Wow.......just wow! I guess I shouldn't be surprised. And now that I think about it I don't recall ever seeing a fire hydrant in the Philippines. I guess that they just take "hand-me-downs" from whatever country they can get them from. Strange there is no national standard for such an important public service. At least the Dauin firetrucks matched the fire hydrants in Dauin.
Among the first responders included civilians who were playing billiard across the street. "Domingo Moral Jr. and Samuel Alabata Jr., who took a video footage of the fire, said they asked Regalado to inform the police and the fire station about the blaze." So the standbys across the street got the 16 year old kid to call fire department while they video recorded the fire and they are now called "first responders". OOOOKKKKK
I feel sorry for the poor folks that have lost their livlihoods. Just before Xmas too. I hope they can get back on their feet just as soon as. We always employ a 'watcher' for the car when me and the Mrs nip across to Apo for a weekend of 'horizontal refreshment'. Can't remember the guys name, but a regular hardworking Filipino doing his best against the odds. Best wishes for all.
A friend who lives close by to the market mentioned that when it was reported to the pnp they took it as a joke as the guy who reported it is not quite wired up right so it was left to burn longer than it should have before the correct people were called.
The guy might have a history of screaming that the sky is falling. My questions would be "why was it that the village idiot was the first to report it?" and then "why was there not someone coming in seconds later verifying the thing the crazy guy said?" and then......."wtf is the PNP going to do about a fire? Try to convince it to stop working so much because it's making them look bad and to take a break in the shade?" Go to the d*mn fire department! Of course I know the answer to those questions: the village idiot was the only one not standing around taking pictures with his phone to have something to post on FB that night.....which then makes me question who the real "village idiot(s)" actually are.