DAVAO CITY – Over 60 families affected by a recent fire here received immediate assistance from the Office of First Congressional District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte.

The First Congressional District Office noted around 66 families currently staying at Shanghai Gym, Matina Aplaya received heavy meals on April 21 and food packs the following day.

Rep. Duterte’s office also provided hot meals in the next five days after the fire gutted down some 40 houses on April 21, Friday morning, at Punta Dumalag 1, Barangay Matina Aplaya.

The lawmaker’s office has been providing immediate assistance and food packs to the district's constituents and other residents in the city affected by man-made and natural calamities.

According to the Davao City Fire District Station spokesperson Senior Fire Officer 4 (SFO4) Ramil Gillado, the fire started at around 10 a.m. in the house of a certain Ronald Magpatoc.

The initial investigation pointed to children playing with a cigarette lighter. The fire quickly spread to the closest neighborhood, where most houses are made of lightweight materials.