THE City Government of Davao will be extending a total of P7.5 million financial aid to some areas in Luzon hit by Typhoons Quinta and Rolly.
The 19th City Council convened on Friday, November 6, through a special session, granting the request of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to utilize portion of the 30 percent Quick Response Fund (QRF) out of the five percent Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (Calamity Fund) of the City Government for the year 2020.
The City will be providing financial assistance to the areas that were all declared under state of calamity.
For areas affected by Typhoon Quinta, the provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Albay, and Marinduque will each be receiving P1 million, while the city of Batangas will be receiving P500,000.
For the areas affected by the recent Typhoon Rolly, provinces of Cavite, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes will each receive P1 million.
Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, chair of the City Council committee on finance, said during the session that the financial assistance is part of the city's mandate "in response to the need of the people" by utilizing its spare financial resources.
"We are used to this, even during the time of [former city mayor and] President Rodrigo Duterte because we have some extra funds, we give support to other provinces who are in need," Dayanghirang said.
The passage of the financial grant came days after Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio visited the provinces of Catanduanes and Albay on Wednesday, November 4.
In a photo posted by Ako-Bicol Party List Representative Alfredo Garbin, Duterte-Carpio made a courtesy call to different local officials.
Senator Imee Marcos also shared a selfie with the presidential daughter inside a chopper, where she said they visited the areas to "assist residents" and distribute relief goods.
Duterte-Carpio said in a radio interview on Thursday, November 5, that the eight areas will receive financial aid from the city as these are currently under state of calamity.
Prior to transmitting the request to the City Council, she made the request to the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), where the latter also issued a resolution supporting the mayor's request to allocate assistance to typhoon-affected areas in Luzon.
The mayor said the city plans to donate financial to Quezon Province, another typhoon-stricken area, but she said the Provincial Board of the area has not yet convened and formally declared their area under state of calamity.
Meanwhile, when asked by the media why she was personally there in Luzon, the mayor responded, "Naa ko didto (I was personally there) because of the Office of the President."
Duterte-Carpio, in her previous interview, said the city won't hesitate to help neighboring areas affected by any onslaught of calamity or other disasters despite its struggle in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The mayor said the city has still ample money in its Disaster Funds, but it is also reserving a certain portion for itself in times of disasters.
The mayor said the city is utilizing the P476-million Bayanihan Grant to Cities and Municipalities (BGCM) under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act from the National Government, City Mayor's Office, and Public Service Enhancement Program of the local government in its Covid-19 response.
As of Thursday, November 5, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported over P11 billion worth of infrastructure and agricultural products/facilities were destroyed by Typhoon Rolly.
Meanwhile, the death toll from Typhoon Rolly has increased to 28, including 23 from Bicol, four in Calabarzon and one in Mimaropa, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Typhoon Quinta claimed 22 lives when it hit the country in October.
NDRRMC said the onslaught of Typhoon Quinta has damaged 107 road sections and 20 bridges in the affected areas. Some 49,081 houses were damaged while 3,608 were destroyed.
A total of 530 infrastructure facilities with an estimated cost of P290 million were also damaged. (With reports from SunStar Philippines)