BALANGA CITY, Bataan – Fire hit a multimillion-peso poultry farm in an upland village here Saturday afternoon leaving an estimated damage of more than PHP37 million.

Elvira Tamayo, owner of the poultry farm in Barangay Upper Tuyo, on Sunday said destroyed were two double-decker buildings valued at PHP15 million each for a total of PHP30 million, 50,000 heads of 23-day-old broiler chickens worth PHP6 million and 500 bags of feeds valued at PHP1 million.

The broiler chickens, she said, were set to be harvested in 10 to 15 days.

“Hindi masyadong maliwanag kung saan nanggaling ang apoy dahil kasalukuyang nagpapakain ng manok ang mga tao nang tumakbo sa akin ang farm manager na may sunog. Nang dumating kami sa lugar ay mataas na ang usok na maitim na maitim at may apoy na (It is not clear where the fire started. Our people were feeding chickens when our farm manager ran and told me that there was a fire. When we reached the place, the smoke which had risen high was too dark and there was already fire),” Tamayo said in an interview.

“Nagsimula sa second floor pero hindi lang namin malaman kung saan talaga nanggaling ang apoy dahil palagi namang naiinspeksyon ang lugar at kumpleto sa lahat ng kailangan (The fire started in the second floor but we do know where it really originated because the place had always been inspected and was complete in all that was needed),” she added.

She said she could not yet ascertain the exact worth of the total damage but she was sure the damaged two poultry houses, including the burnt chickens and feeds, were worth some PHP37 million.

Tamayo said they are contract growers of Dan Way Processing Corporation owned by one Engr. Danilo Baylon.

As of this writing, personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection in Balanga City were still busy inspecting the area and could not yet release details on the fire. (PNA)