Blaze destroys house in Tinglayan, Kalinga into ashes; Family appeals for help

Tulgao West – A family in Barangay Tulgao West, Tinglayan is now appealing for help after their residential house was completely destroyed by fire on the evening of May 18 at around 9:00 p.m.

The blaze reduced the two-storey home of Joseph and Helen Dapulon to ashes, leaving the family homeless with no belongings salvaged from the incident.

Reports said the fire started on the second floor of the house, causing the flames to spread rapidly until the entire structure was engulfed.

In an interview with GURU Press Cordillera, Rosa Dalacan Cruz, sister of Helen, shared that the incident happened during a power outage in the area. According to her, Helen had placed a candle on top of a plastic cabinet before briefly leaving the house to respond to a message from one of her children who was in Tabuk City.

“Idi May 18 ket blackout isu nagusar isuna ti candle ket impatong na iti plastic cabinet. Ket gapu ta adda dagiti annak na ditoy Tabuk, napan na kanu sinungbatan ti chat jay anak na,” Cruz narrated.

Cruz further explained that the nearest neighbor lived about seven to ten minutes away on foot, and by the time help arrived, the fire had already spread uncontrollably.

At the time of the incident, Helen was reportedly alone in the house while her husband and their three children were in Tabuk City.

The family’s house, which had a concrete first floor and a wooden second floor, was still unfinished. According to Cruz, the couple had been slowly improving their home whenever they had extra money, making the loss even more heartbreaking for the family.

“Actually, saan pay na-finishing diay balay. Nu adda kwarta ket manaynayunan da latta,” she added.

Cruz, along with relatives and concerned community members, has since posted on social media appealing for any kind of assistance. She also took to her personal account to express heartbreak over the incident, saying the family’s years of hard work, sacrifices, and savings were reduced to ashes in just a matter of minutes.

“Diay nagrigatan da iti manu nga tawen ket apagdarikmat nga kinnan ti apuy... amin nga lengleng-et da, bannug, pigsa, kwarta ken sakripisyo ket nagbalin nga dapo. Kasanu ngayen tadta jay dream house da... Thanks God ta safe ni manang ko ta isu number one nga inkarkararag mi idi rabii,” she wrote.

The Dapulon family is now seeking financial assistance, food, clothing, and other basic necessities as they begin recovering from the tragedy. Donations may be sent through GCash under the name Christian Dalacan, one of their children, at 09657650049.