Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. distribute relief at the Delpan Evacuation Center, where families who lost there homes in the Isla Puting Bato fire have been staying. Presidential Communicaitons Office handout photo

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said the government hopes to rebuild houses in Isla Puting Bato before Christmas so that fire victims can spend the holidays in their own homes.

“Talagang sa ngayon ay ang pangangailangan ay matayo ulit ang mga bahay,” the President said when he visited evacuees in Tondo.

(The biggest need right now is for the houses to be rebuilt.)

“Pinangako ko po doon sa isang kasama natin sa isang evacuation center: Pag kayo ay hindi pa namin naiuwi pagdating ng Pasko, ako’y pupunta rito magpa-party, magha-happy, magme-merry Christmas tayo sama-sama,” he said.

(I promised one of the people at the evacuation center that if you cannot go home by Christmas, I will come here and we will spend Christmas together.)

He said this had prompted him to urge Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna to prioritize rebuilding.

“Kaya bilisan mo kung hindi magpapakain ka ng libo-libong tao pagdating ng Pasko. Ikaw din,” he added in jest.

(That's why you should act quickly otherwise you will have to have a Christmas feast for thousands of people.)

The national government handed out P10,000 each to 2,100 fire victims who lost their homes to a fire that razed a chunk of the Isla Puting Bato community.

The local government earlier also gave the families P10,000 each.

They also received food packs, blankets and sleeping mats from the Office of the President.

READ: Massive fire leaves 2,000 families homeless in Tondo's Isla Puting Bato

Food packs will be replenished regularly, while the Department of Health will deploy medical teams to check on the health conditions of evacuees, Marcos Jr. said.

“Hindi po tayo titigil at gagawin lahat para tulungan po kayong lahat dahil alam naman po namin na kahit  kayo’y nakangiti at nagmamalakas ng sigaw, marami po kayong iniiisp—kung papaano aalagaan ang inyong sarili, ang inyong mga pamilya, kung saan kayo uuwi. Alam naman po namin ‘yun,” he said.

(We will not stop and we will do all we can to help all of you. We know that even if you are smiling and cheering right now, you have a lot on your mind — like how to care for yourselves and your families, and where you will be staying. We know that.)

The President said the national government will work to make sure the needs of the families affected by the fire are met.

Most of the fire victims have been staying in the Delpan Evacuation Center, while others have opted to temporarily stay with their relatives while their houses are being rebuilt.

The Palace said at least 2,114 families, or 6,957 individuals, were left homeless after a fire broke out in Purok 1, 2, and 3 of Isla Puting Bato last Sunday.

RELATED VIDEO