Puerto Princesa Fire Victims, Students Face Prolonged Temporary Shelter Life

PALAWAN, Philippines – Shan Christian Cabanillas usually begins his day by collecting water. For a fourth-year engineering student, Cabanillas’ mornings are unlike those of many of his classmates. Instead of waking up in a permanent home, he prepares for school inside a temporary shelter near the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum in Barangay San Pedro, where his family has lived for almost a year and a half. Before leaving for class, the 21-year-old helps buy supplies for their small store, feeds their dogs, and lines up for water from the communal faucet. Only after finishing these chores does he begin his trip to Palawan State University. This has become Cabanillas’ normal routine, day in and day out. But it was not supposed to be like this. A night that changed everything In the early morning of February 7, 2024, Cabanillas was asleep when their two dogs suddenly started barking nonstop. His mother woke up after hearing someone outside their gate shouting that there was a fire. She immediately woke Cabanillas and his older sister. Caught by surprise, the family rushed outside with barely enough time to save anything. “Sa pagkataranta namin, kung ano ‘yong suot naming damit, ‘yon lang [‘yong] nasalba namin,” Cabanillas recalled. (In our rush, we saved nothing else but the clothes on our backs.) With nowhere to go, Cabanillas’ family sought temporary refuge at the homes of his mother’s therapy clients. They first stayed with one client for 15 days before transferring to another client’s property, where they remained for almost a year rebuilding their lives. The family later moved into a temporary shelter provided by the city in April 2025. There, they started operating a small store to help support their daily needs. Located only a few kilometers from where the fire happened, the temporary shelter was among Puerto Princesa City’s immediate responses to the fire, which displaced around 920 families (500 from Barangay Bagong Silang and 420 from Barangay Pagkakaisa, two barangays in the Quito area). The site, built to house fire victims temporarily, was designed to accommodate just 221 families while they wait for permanent relocation. The city government began constructing the shelter in February 2024, and it was completed in April 2024. Learning to live in a temporary home The temporary shelter was originally established to provide safe, immediate refuge for vulnerable residents displaced by disasters such as storms and flooding, or domestic crises like fires, while long-term housing is being prepared. Today, rows of small shelter units stand side by side near the coliseum. Families share communal comfort rooms and water faucets, while children play along the narrow pathways between the houses. Every morning, residents line up with buckets to collect water before going to work or school. Cabanillas admitted that adjusting to life in the shelter was difficult. “Dati, may mga pagkakataong nahihirapan akong pumasok sa klase,” he said. “Ngayon, hindi na, dahil nakasanayan na.” (There were times in the past when I’d find it difficult to go to class. I’ve since grown accustomed to these conditions.) Cabanillas’ experience is not unique. Chilling Gonzaga’s family was among those who transferred to the temporary shelter in April 2024 after losing their home to the fire. She said the first few months after the fire were the most difficult. “Sa tulong ng mga nagdo-donate ng goods, at malaking tulong din ang mga kaklase ko kasi sila ang maraming naitulong sa amin,” Gonzaga said. (We got by with the help of those who donated goods, and my classmates, who also significantly contributed.) Despite the challenges, she continued her studies and recently graduated from the same university with a degree in business administration. Like many families who remain in the shelter, Gonzaga longs for a day when her home will no longer be temporary. Still waiting In July 2025, local news reported that the Puerto Princesa city government had ordered the clearing of the temporary shelter. According to the report, personnel from the City Housing Office and the Anti-Squatting Office were initially set to padlock the shelter. The residents appealed to Mayor Lucilo Bayron and were granted a three-month extension until October. While many families continue to wait for permanent housing, the city government has identified them as among the priority beneficiaries of the Tandikan Ville housing project in Barangay Irawan under the national government’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program. However, local news reported in December 2025 that there was still no confirmed turnover date for the project due to construction delays. Acting City Information Officer Aries Jade del Rosario said families staying in the temporary shelter would continue to receive priority, although the final selection of beneficiaries rests with the PAG-IBIG Fund. Cabanillas said residents initially believed the housing would be free, but during a meeting with city officials, they were informed that they would have to pay a monthly amortization of around P3,000 for the housing units. He said many families, including theirs, decided not to relocate because they could not afford the monthly payments. As for Gonzaga’s family, she acknowledged the assistance they received from the city government immediately after the fire, including water and free electricity in the shelter. However, she said their family still hopes to receive a permanent place where they can rebuild their lives. “Sana kahit lupa na lang ang maibigay nila para kahit papaano makapagsimula kaming magpatayo ng maliit na bahay,” she said (I hope they could give us at least land where we could build even just a small house.) As of this writing, at least 366 occupants continue to live in the temporary shelter in Barangay San Pedro, according to the City Urban Development and Housing Office (CUDHO). The CUDHO said the remaining occupants cannot be relocated yet because there is no available relocation site ready to accommodate them. Instead of transferring families in batches, the city plans to carry out a simultaneous relocation once the housing project is completed and ready for occupancy to ensure an orderly transition for all beneficiaries. Holding on to a dream When his family eventually relocates, Cabanillas hopes for simple things: a home with its own water connection, its own comfort room, stable electricity, and enough space to study. For now, the temporary shelter remains both his home and the place where each school day begins. More than two years after losing their house to the Quito fire, Cabanillas chooses to move forward. Every morning starts with collecting water instead of simply getting ready for school. Every evening ends in a shelter that was meant to be temporary. Yet despite the uncertainty, he continues to pursue the same goal he had before the fire: to finish his engineering degree and build a better future for his fa