Relief begins in Cebu LGUs

by Ivan Rey R. Tan

LOCAL government units in Cebu have started to distribute aid to Typhoon Odette (Rai) victims on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, five days after the calamity.

In Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Junard Chan announced the City allocated P236 million for financial assistance.

Each household will receive P5,000 that can be used to purchase construction materials or basic commodities, Chan said.

Chan urged barangay captains to properly distribute the cash aid.

“Dapat walay pilion kay majority kanato ang naapil sa grabeng kadaot niining Bagyong Odette (It should not be selective because majority of us were gravely affected by this Typhoon Odette),” said Chan.

Rice distribution

Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla also started to distribute rice for each family.

In a special session on Monday, Dec. 20, the Minglanilla Municipal Council approved the release of P90 million for the purchase of rice that will be distributed to 45,000 families.

A heavy-duty water purifying machine will also be installed in the sports complex that can provide 400 containers of potable water per day.

In Talisay, Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. said the distribution of 25-kilo sacks of rice per family will begin on Dec. 21 or 22.

“Whether rich or poor, whether living in a subdivision or not, whether renting or not, whether voter or not, the City is thinking of you,” said Gullas in Cebuano.

Talisay City received more than 300 sacks of rice as an initial donation from Israel through its embassy in the Philippines.

Three electric generators were also given to water refilling stations in Barangay Pooc, Lawaan 2 and Poblacion to augment the need for potable water.

Seven more generators are expected to arrive on Dec. 22 and will be placed in strategic areas around the city.

Financial aid

In Cebu City, P1 billion was set aside for its recovery program after Typhoon Odette ravaged the city’s 80 barangays.

Gerry Carillo, chairman of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) said more than 60 percent of the fund will be used for financial assistance to individual structure owners.

“The Council and the Mayor (Michael Rama) are setting aside more than P600 million for financial assistance to all people affected by Typhoon Odette. It will range from P5,000 for partially damage and P10,000 for fully damage structure. This is per structure not per family,” said Carillo.

Carillo said they plan to start the distribution on Monday, Dec. 27 until all those affected by the typhoon have been given.

He said they will still have to agree on how to avoid chaos during the distribution and enforce Covid-19 safety and health protocols. (PAC)