Following the fire incident occurred in Barangay 45, Sta. Cruz Street, various student-led organizations of Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU)–Main Campus initiated donation drives to support the victims on Wednesday, October 1.
The fire broke out on the night of September 30, damaging around 10 residential houses, most of which were occupied by student boarders from various schools, including EVSU.
With this, the EVSU community, including student organizations, launched initiatives to extend assistance to the victims by promoting generosity, unity, and compassion within the campus.
One of the first organizations to respond was the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers–Student Auxiliary Body (PIID-SAB) EVSU-Main Chapter, which held its donation drive at the School of Architecture and Allied Disciplines (SAAD) Building where clothes, food packs, basic necessities, and school supplies were gathered.
Its Chapter President, Sunshine L. Lagradilla, told The Industrial Wheel that they view their role not only as students but also as responsible members of society who must extend help to those in need.
“The fire incident in Brgy. 45, Sta. Cruz, Tacloban City, fueled our passion to extend help to the fire victims, especially the students of EVSU, as we realized that beyond our academic pursuits, we also have the duty to support the community,” Lagradilla said.
She added that her most memorable moment was seeing a great number of students volunteering, which inspired their group to continue showing compassion and to step up for the wider community.
Furthermore, Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (JPIA)–EVSU Main Chapter also launched its own donation drive, preparing immediately after the fire to gather assistance from fellow students.
Krystel Carrie Pace, the Vice President for Graphics and Publications, said their first step was posting through their official social media page, which reached more people after members and non-members alike shared the post.
She emphasized that helping does not always require big efforts, but rather the willingness to reach out to those in need through simple acts of kindness.
Among the organizations and offices to extended their help to the students were:
• Student Affairs and Services Office (SASO)
• School of Engineering
• Supreme Student Government (SSG)
• Association of Future Hospitality Professional (AFHP)
• Science Education Students Society (SciEdSS)
• Pre-Service Teachers Association (PSTA)
• Students Organization of Sports and Physical Education (SOSPE)
• Federation of Junior Marketing and Association (FJMA)
• Kapisanan ng mga Estudyanteng Maka-Wika (KEMW)
• Technical Vocational Educational Society Organization (TECHVOCEDU)
• School of Engineering Federation (SOEF);
• Junior Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers (JPICHE)- EVSU Student Chapter
• Philippine Institute of Industrial Engineers – EVSU Student Chapter
• Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers (IIEE) EVSU Student Chapter
• Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) – Student Chapter
Meanwhile, Angel Mae Glore, a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (BSA) student who was affected by the fire, shared that the incident took a toll not only on her mental health but also on her finances.
She said she now has to start over from scratch after losing her belongings, but she is still thankful that she was spared from harm during the incident.
Glore also expressed that aside from prayers, student-victims like her urgently need tangible support such as food, clothing, and financial assistance, since most were unable to save anything during the fire.
Affected residents and students were immediately sheltered at the ABS-CBN Building inside the university, which was activated as an emergency evacuation site.
Donation drives remain ongoing, with student organizations continuing to accept contributions and posting regular updates through their official social media pages.
Article by Carl Dotingco