BACOLOD City Lone District Representative Greg Gasataya, Negros Grace Pharmacy president Ian Manuel Lo, and lawyer Mark Steven Mayo led the distribution of financial aids to numerous Bacolodnons who confronted different urgencies in life on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 9 and 10.
A thousand of Bacolodnons received financial aid -- medical or burial assistance -- through the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The distribution was held at the covered court of Barangay Montevista in Bacolod City.
Each beneficiary got P5,000. More or less P4.5 million was released to the residents from the government.
Lo also gave P3,000 each of the 111 families living in Purok Herbabuena, Circumferential Road in Barangay Villamonte, Bacolod City whose houses were demolished by a private owner.
The funds were sourced from the personal funds of Lo and the private funds of Gasataya.
An elderly, Marcela Pacasita, got emotional when she received the financial assistance worth P8,000 from the combined aids of the government as represented by Gasataya and the private sector represented by Lo.
"I have stayed in a gutter since my house got demolished. I wept because it is painful to lose a house so special to my family and me," Pacasita said.
"But I also cried because I received this money which I prayed and hoped for. This is very helpful to my family and me given our current condition," she said.
Lo said he helps those families being assisted by Gasataya because "we both know that many people are undergoing a difficult situation. The pandemic is one aspect that makes the people's economic and health conditions awful, plus the fact that these 111 individuals representing their families have lost their houses to demolition. I cannot imagine the hardship that these individuals and families are going through. I hope what we gave can help ease their burdens."
Gasataya thanked Lo for assisting their fellow Bacolodnons who are enduring different conditions in life.
"I also come from a low-income family, and I know how it feels to have nothing. Since Mr. Ian Lo and I have the means to help them, we decided to give financial assistance to this sector. I also thanked Lo and his company for always being ready and kind to give back to the community," he said.
He also wished everyone to stay safe as the battle against Covid-19 is not yet over.
Mayo, who has been collaborating with Gasataya and Lo, also felt the joy of the beneficiaries.