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The relatives of the fire victims and survivors of the massive fire that hit Kentex Manufacturing Corporation were each given PHP13,000 salary and financial assistance by the company Saturday.
The company gave PHP8,000 salary and PHP5,000 initial financial aid to the relatives of the 72 victims. Fire survivors also received the same amount.
Representatives from the Valenzuela City government, the local Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assisted the company in distributing aid.
According to Atty. Renato Paraiso, Kentex’s legal counsel, all employees will receive the amount, which was based on the highest salary received by a worker in the factory.
Kentex has 210 workers, 72 of which died in the fire.
The workers expressed their gratitude for the amount they received, but they are hoping to receive further assistance from the company, especially since they all lost their jobs.
The workers also clarified that the aid won’t absolve Kentex of any liability for the fire.
The management of Kentex said it is ready to submit itself to any investigation.
Paraiso said they are ready to attend investigations by the Congress and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), even without being summoned.
The company also insisted that it is innocent and what happened was an accident. —from a report by Dennis Datu, dzMM
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
Photo: Dennis Datu, dzMM (Twitter)
