THE City Government is sending P350,000 worth of financial assistance to earthquake victims in Cotabato and Davao region, including other hard-hit areas in Mindanao that are still recovering from the destruction of strong tremors.
City Administrator Teddy Sabuga-a, during the weekly flag-raising Monday, November 4, asked the 3,500 City Hall employees to donate P100 each for the quake victims.
The employees all agreed to deduct the P100 from the bonus they are set to receive this month.
"Mas maayo kita ang motabang kaysa kita ang tabangan (It's best that we should help than to be helped)," Sabuga-a said.
Meanwhile, Councilor Girlie Balaba proposed to get a portion of the city's fund to provide financial assistance.
Balaba said that in other cities like Davao, the city mayor is authorized by the City Council to get a portion of the calamity fund as a financial assistance to disaster-hit areas.
"We need to help them because as far as I know, there are 20,000 people displaced because of the earthquake. Ang uban galisod pa kay walay tubig (Some are struggling because of the lack of water). Dili man pud tanan atong calamity fund kuhaon (Not all of our calamity will be deducted), just a small portion," she said.
The calamity fund, also known as the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Funds, is mandated under Section 21 of Republic Act 10121 or the Act Strengthening the Disaster Management System of the country.
The fund should not be less than five percent of the estimated revenue from the regular sources of local government units.
It is used in pre-disaster preparedness, training, purchasing of life-saving rescue equipment, supplies and medicines, post-disaster activities, payment of premiums on calamity insurance and others.
Disaster officials said at least 22 people have died from the series of powerful earthquakes and strong aftershocks.