Saturday, August 18, 2007 Fire victims get P2.7M from Capitol
CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday released the P2.7-million financial assistance to the fire victims in Mandaue City, which was distributed directly to the beneficiaries.
In front of the more than 750 families or 3,182 individual victims who lined up yesterday at the Uniwide building to receive the monetary help, Mayor Jonas Cortes also announced that he will cooperate with Garcia, who supported his political rival Jonkie Ouano in the last elections.
Gratitude
“We are thankful to the governor for her assistance. We have seen how sincere her administration is, that’s why even if we were on opposing political sides I never uttered a word against her during the campaign. Now that the elections are over, I will show respect to her as governor and I will cooperate,” Cortes said in Cebuano.
But Garcia, in addressing the fire victims, said people should thank God and not her.
On Cortes’ being the opponent of her close ally, the governor said a calamity does not consider political color when it strikes so it is only proper that she should also not have political considerations in giving help.
The governor was accompanied by Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr. in distributing the assistance.
Owners of properties lost in the blaze in Barangay Tipolo last month received an assistance of P5,000 each.
Those who were renting received P3,000 while families sharing the house with the owners received P1,000.
The cash assistance was on top of the assistance given in kind that the Capitol extended to the fire victims immediately after the incident.
Aside from the victims of the Tipolo fire, 30 families who were victims of a fire in Barangay Cambaro also received the same amount. (JPM)
