THE Iloilo Provincial Government is set to release a total of P185,997,077 as additional financial assistance to the 43 local government units (LGUs) for their respective coronavirus disease (Covid-19) response measures.
The funds will be taken from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's calamity fund.
Provincial Legal Office chief Dennis Ventilacion said the LGUs will receive varying amounts depending on their household population as directed by Governor Arthur Defensor Jr.
The additional financial assistance would range from P1 million to P8 million.
Earlier, Defensor released P1 million to each LGU, except the Municipality of Guimbal, which received P1.5 million, to help them in providing relief assistance to their residents affected by the enhanced community quarantine.
Meanwhile, the province already started buying the produce of farmers composed of vegetables, fruits and other farm products that will form part of the food packs to be distributed by the LGUs.
Defensor allotted P8 million for the said initiative to help the farmers in the province and so that the recipients could also avail themselves of nutritious food in this time of crisis.
The farm produce would be distributed to all the LGUs through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, which will take charge in packing and distributing it to the recipients.
Ventilacion said the municipalities with strict travel restrictions due to local Covid-19 transmission, such as Guimbal and Lambunao, will get more allocations.
The province is also on the process of procuring three more respirators to be deployed to Western Visayas Medical Center, the Covid-19 designated hospital in the province.
Ventilacion, who chairs the Bids and Awards Committee, said the first two respirators were already awarded to the supplier with a cost of P1.4 million each. (PR)