City extends P10-M aid to flood victims in Luzon

MAYOR Celso Lobregat has ordered the release of P10 million from the calamity fund of the local government to help the thousands of families in 19 Luzon towns displaced by the monsoon rains.

Lobregat issued the order to City Treasurer Soledad Li and City Budget Officer Virginia Gara after an emergency meeting Friday afternoon with members of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC).

Lobregat said that P1 million of the P10 million allocation will be given to San Mateo, Rizal, a sister town of Zamboanga City, and P9 million to be shared among 18 other flood-stricken municipalities at P500,000 each.

Aside from San Mateo, Rizal, the other recipients of the financial aid are the municipalities of Masantol, Macabebe, Calumpit, Paombong, Hagonoy, Obando and Bucaue, all in the province of Bulacan; Concepcion, Paniqui and Capas in Tarlac province; Dinalupihan, Orani and Mariveles in Bataan; Sto. Tomas and Minalin in Pampanga; and San Marcelino and Iba in the province of Zambales.

A City Government official will personally hand over the checks to the concern local government units on Monday, said Lobregat.

During the meeting Friday, Lobregat said he had just talked over the phone to Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, informing him about this city’s intention to donate P10 million for the flood victims in Luzon.

Lobregat said Robredo told him that President Benigno Aquino III will be immediately informed about the City Government’s P10-million financial assistance to flood victims.

“I asked him what areas really need the money most, then he texted me the affected municipalities,” the mayor said.

This prompted the CDRRMC to pass a resolution approving the release of P10 million from the city’s calamity fund and give the same to the intended towns.

Severe weather conditions brought about by southwest monsoon resulted in incessant rains and massive flash floods in most of Luzon, including Metro Manila.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that there were already 85 fatalities as of 5 a.m. Sunday.

Of the total number of fatalities, the NDRRMC said that 62 die due to drowning, 12 were victims of landslides, two were hit by lightning, three due to electrocution, three because of heart attack/cardiac arrest, two due to falling trees and one of still undetermined cause.

The City Government of Zamboanga on several occasions in the past had also extended financial assistance to disaster-stricken areas in the country.

These included the P500,000 worth of relief goods given to Jolo, Sulu when flash floods hit the town in February 2011; P1 million each to Iligan and Cagayan de Oro when the two cities were devastated by Typhoon Sendong in December 2011 and; P435,000 in total cash aid to 58 families injured or lost their loved ones in armed conflict in Basilan last year.

Also recipients of the city’s financial assistance for disaster and calamity areas were s Aurora Province, Marikina City, Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Trece Martires, Cavite, Santiago City, and Calamba Laguna. (Bong Garcia)