Tuesday, September 05, 2006
500 evacuees not yet back in homes
By Ruby P. Silubrico
MORE than 500 evacuees in five sitios of La Paz, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras are not yet back in their homes after relief goods from Petron Corporation stopped.
Veronica Ortiz, village chief of La Paz, confirmed Monday that at least 92 families or more than 500 persons are still in the evacuation center while others opted to stay in the house of their relatives.
Ortiz said that those affected are residents of sitios Tigcalayo, Sumirib, Lusaran, Pototan and Almansor. They live 100 meters from the seashore.
They were the ones ordered by the local government to leave their homes in order to avoid the ill-effects of the sludge caused by the oil that was released by the sunken M/T Solar 1.
Most of those who suffer respiratory problems, headache and difficulty in breathing are children.
Cash for work
Ortiz said that the Petron Company has stopped giving relief goods to the residents and is now focusing in the "Cash for Work" program. They have increased the salary of each worker from P200 to 300 a day.
On Monday, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), local government officials of Guimaras and other private sectors conducted a medical mission with the help of the province's Representative Edgar Espinosa.
The PCSO gave free check-up, medicines and vitamins while Espinosa gave relief goods to more than 500 persons as one way of celebrating his birthday. (RPS)
(September 5, 2006 issue)
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