City to provide financial aid to Odette-hit areas
By Ralph Lawrence G. Llemit
THE Davao City government will be providing financial assistance to cities and municipalities devastated by Typhoon Odette.
Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) chief Alfredo Baloran confirmed in a radio interview on Monday, December 20, that Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio already instructed his office to collate the necessary documents, which will be the basis for the issuance of a resolution for the utilization of a portion of the 30 percent Quick Response Fund (QRF) out of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (Calamity Fund) of the City Government.
The city’s Calamity Fund is five percent of its annual budget.
However, Baloran revealed they are struggling to communicate with the affected local government units (LGUs) due to the disrupted communication lines.
“As per instruction ni Mayor na muhatag ta og hinabang didto. Ang kinahanglanon man gud namo na mga dokumento is katong ilang mga declaration sa mga probinsya, city, ug municipal nga affected ni Bagyong Odette (The mayor instructed us to provide financial assistance to the affected areas. However, we will need documents from them declaring their province, city, or munIcipality was affected by typhoon Odette),” the CDRRMO official said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
In addition, he said that his office needed to secure the formal document of the LGUs that declared that their area is under a state of calamity.
“Kinahanglan namo ang ilang declaration of state of calamity kay mao na amo attachment sa pagpangayo nato ug pag-approve sa City Council na maggamit ta og budget para itabang sa city didto sa mga biktima (Their declaration of state of calamity will be attached to our request to the City Council that we will be using a portion of the city’s budget to help those who have been affected by the typhoon),” Baloran said.
On Sunday, the Davao City government sent its delegation composed of rescue and medical teams to help in the relief and rescue operations to those affected by Typhoon Odette in Bohol on Sunday, December 19.
In a Facebook post, the Davao City government, led by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, send off personnel from City Health Office, Davao City Central 911’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), Fire Auxiliary Services (FAS), Southern Philippines Medical Center doctors, and social workers from City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) on Sunday morning, December 19.
The delegation headed to Ubay, Bohol to assist in the response operations to those affected by the tropical storm.
In a separate Facebook post, Duterte-Carpio said a total of 106 personnel responded to the call of Bohol for augmentation.
“Mga doctors, social workers at rescue personnel ang tumugon sa tawag ng isang opisyal ng Bohol para dagdag tao na maka responde sa mga biktima ng Odette (These doctors, social workers, and rescue personnel responded to the call of an official from Bohol for additional help in responding to Odette’s aftermath),” the mayor said.
She added the city also provided goods such as rice and water.
Baloran said the deployed personnel might be celebrating Christmas Day away from their families, depending on the situation.
“Hopefully ma-restore and maplastar aron makabalik sila diria (things will be restored as soon as possible so they can return here for the holidays),” he said.
Meanwhile, Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, committee chairperson on finance, ways and means, and appropriations, said in a separate interview that his committee is already in coordination with the city in the possible financial assistance to be allocated to the typhoon-stricken areas.
“Gina-consolidate karon ang naigo sa Odette, mga pangalan ug mga probinsya, and anytime magpatawag si mayor og special session aron aprubahan kini (We are consolidating the names of the areas affected by Odette. A special session will be called for the approval of the request,” Dayanghirang said. RGL
