Guv gives out aid to island brgys.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

CLOUDY skies and a pump boat with a broken propeller did not stop Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia from pushing through with her scheduled visit last Sunday to Bantayan town in Bantayan Island to distribute rice and sardines.

She told more than two hundred residents and students inside Doong Elementary School that she didn’t want to keep the people waiting.

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Doong Island is an hour by pump boat from Bantayan town and one and a half hours from Sta Fe.

On her return to mainland Cebu, between Bantayan and Sta. Fe, the pump boat she was riding was met by strong wind, heavy rains and big waves.

The governor’s pump boat pushed through. A smaller pump boat behind them, where provincial social worker Wilson Ramos was, went to hide behind a small islet.

The last boat in the convoy, which carried Capitol department heads, Sugbu news staff, reporters and photographers who were all wearing life jackets, received the heaviest beating but still made it to the 4:30 p.m. last ship schedule to Hagnaya.  

That morning, Garcia, Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu, 5th district), Provincial Board (PB) members and department heads sailed to Doong and Botigues islands to distribute NFA rice worth P312,500 and 7,102 cans of sardines to residents worst hit by recent storms.

“Joy and fear,” was how Board Member Joven Mondigo described his feeling.

“Our will was tested,” Bantayan Mayor Ian Escario told the crowd.

ABC president Joey Boy Holganza, said it was not the wind and waves that worried him but the shallow waters that could force them to wade a kilometer to reach the island.

Garcia’s group reached Doong, where she was ushered to a waiting “tangkal-tangkal” tricycle to bring them to Doong Elementary School at 1:40 p.m.

After lunch, they proceeded to Botigues Island.

Socio-economic

Last Saturday, Garcia distributed P2.4 million worth of financial and socio-economic assistance to nine barangays in Sta. Fe. Four of these barangays are island
communities, such as Hagdan, Langub, Hilantagaan and Kinatarcan.

Langub Barangay Captain president Rolando Villacarlos said most children in the island barangays need pre-school classes and health care.

He thanked Garcia for the assistance.

Capitol allocated a total of P900,000 for the day care centers of nine barangays and another P900,000 for their health centers.

Garcia also turned over another P200,000 for socio-cultural projects of the four barangays. Capitol also allocated P300,000 for the renovation of the ABC Hall and another P100,000 for 10 television sets.

Villacarlos said Sta. Fe Mayor Jennifer Illustrisimo assigned a midwife and a community daycare worker in every barangay. Her barangay received P200,000 assistance for equipment and the completion of its health center.

Other beneficiary barangays located in Bantayan Island are Barangays Okoy, Pooc, Maricaban, Balidbid and Talisay. Barangay Barangay Pablacion received assistance earlier.