More than three weeks after the fire razed in the shanties of Barangay Catmon, almost 1,600 families remain homeless living in makeshift shelters scattered in evacuation centers, a tennis court and a day care center in Malabon. Survivor families continue to clear the debris and rebuild their homes out of scrap materials and selling scavenged metal.

^{A Barangay Catmon resident finds hope as he rebuilds his life amidst the debris and destruction caused by the August 7 fire.}  

On August 21, World Vision provided 1,175 relief packs with mats, blankets, cooking pots and other essential needs. School supplies such as bags, writing utensils, notebooks and crayons were also given to 428 children, including 99 World Vision-assisted children in its recently opened Area Development Program (ADP) in Malabon.

^{Hundreds of children wait in line for their backpacks and school supplies. .}     

World Vision area team leader Grace Edejer shares, “From this experience I learned that when we commit everything to God, He will prepare you. We were very blessed with the volunteers who were there to help out. There was teamwork. We saw them not as victims but as friends that we care for and remember especially in dire situations like this.”

A mother of six shares, “Yung mga bago nasunog, pati mga papeles tsaka konting damit. Ang importante ay nakaligtas kami. Thank you sa tulong niyo.” (“All our new stuff burned even the papers and some clothes. What matters is that we are safe. Thank you for your help.”)

What sparked as a quarrel between a couple led to the throwing of a gas lamp, burning themselves and the entire neighborhood on August 7. Due to the flooding and narrow pathways in the area, fire fighters had difficulty containing the blaze which lasted for almost six hours.
Fire hazards are one of the threats in Malabon City with cramped houses made of lightweight materials and overpopulation in the barangays. In 2007, over 80 fire incidents worth 13 million pesos in damages were reported.

Malabon ranks 6^th out of the 10 poorest cities in Metro Manila. With a population density of 14,481 per square kilometer, Malabon is number 3 with the highest magnitude of population and their percentage share to the total poor. The city ranks as the 8^th highest in threats to the survival of children in the Philippines.

For less than a year, World Vision’s interventions in the Malabon area include education, vaccination and establishing a tutorial center. Ground work is ongoing to create sustainable projects for the community.