SEVENTEEN out of 30 barangay captains in Lapu-Lapu City have expressed willingness to work with the city government in distributing the promised P5,000 cash aid to households affected by Typhoon Odette (Rai).
In an interview, Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) president and Barangay Bangkal chief Eduardo Cuizon said he and 16 other village chiefs have signed a resolution to support the City’s plan to jointly distribute the cash aid along with personnel from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).
Cuizon said the funds from the City have not yet been downloaded to the barangays’ bank accounts as of this writing.
The village chief said he agrees that the cash aid should be distributed through the barangays as they didn’t want to be blamed by their constituents if the aid would not be properly distributed.
Cuizon recalled that some of their constituents allegedly blamed them for the improper distribution of the social amelioration program funds even though personnel from the CSWDO were the ones in charge in giving the pandemic aid.
“Kami ang maigo sa reklamo sa mga tao. Karon gusto namo nga kami ang mo-distribute kay mao gihapon kami ra gihapon ang sukmatan sa mga tao,” said Cuizon.
(We are the receiving end of the people’s complaints. That’s why we want to lead the distribution and directly deal with our constituents.)
Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan previously announced on his Facebook page that the CSWDO and barangay officials will jointly conduct the distribution of the cash aid.
Cuizon said Chan has not called for any coordination with barangay officials, but the Department of the Interior and Local Government convened Wednesday, Jan. 5, the barangay officials to discuss the manner of distribution.
Cuizon further stated that the mayor should set aside politics and should focus on creating a legacy that the mayor can leave for the people of Lapu-Lapu.