A fire early Monday morning destroyed at least 22 stalls in the public market of Barangay Cabacungan, a village located at the foot of Mt. Kanlaon in La Castellana town, Negros Occidental province.

According to the initial report from the Bureau of Incident Protection (BIP), the incident began at about 1:15 a.m. It ended around 3 a.m., but the cause is unknown because investigators have yet to submit their findings.

Grocery and variety stores, cafes, a bakeshop, and a feed supply store were among those destroyed.

Fifth District Representative Emilio Bernardino Yulo, whose district contains La Castellana, stated in a statement that his office has provided cash assistance to impacted stall owners and has pledged to assist them in recovering from their losses.

Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan expressed gratitude to Yulo for the rapid assistance, noting that the municipal authority is also assisting individuals affected by the fire.