IN LGUs gear up to send relief, assistance to ‘Yolanda’ victims

LENDING A HAND. San Nicolas Mayor Melanie Valdez leads the repacking of relief goods for supertyphoon “Yolanda” victims at the San Nicolas Municipal Hall. San Nicolas is one of three Ilocos Norte LGUs which are preparing assistance to the typhoon-ravaged areas of central Philippines. The other two LGUs are Laoag and Batac Cities. (Doms dela Cruz)

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff Reporter

Three local government units (LGUs) in the province announced their intentions to help in the relief efforts for supertyphoon “Yolanda’s” victims in central Philippines.

Members of the Laoag City Sangguniang Panlungsod unanimously approved two resolutions which were certified as urgent by Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas for the donation of P50,000 each for the typhoon Yolanda victims in the cities Ormoc and Tacloban.

The amounts were certified by the members of the local finance committee as available and to be sourced from the Laoag City Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC).

Laoag Vice Mayor Michael V. Fariñas said this is one way to help our brothers and sisters that were affected by the supertyphoon.

The vice mayor added that this has been a practice for the city government as one way in helping LGUs that are affected by any type of calamity.

The mayor, for her part said that the city was lucky that the supertyphoon had not reached the province as this would have created huge problems for Ilocanos.

However, the mayor said that the city government and the people of Laoag continuously pray for the immediate recovery of the affected towns and cities and their people.

For this the reason, the lady mayor said she certified two urgent resolutions for cash donations for Ormoc and Tacloban

The city hall employees association also came up with cash and kind donations purposely for the said victims.

Batac also prepares to help

Batac City mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta meanwhile said that the City Hall employees’ association of Batac also have been collecting different kinds of goods that could be also shared to the people affected by the supertyphoon.

Nalupta said he also sent memoranda to all levels in the private and public schools in of Batac to also conduct their respective voluntary cash donations but the said memoranda should be explained very well by the teachers specifically its intention.

Based on a World Bank report, around US$14 billion are needed for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the affected areas.

In view of this, Nalupta said this became the reason he urges every citizen in Batac to help with anything that comes from the bottom of their heart.

Whatever may be collected according to the mayor will be sent thru the foundations, Philippine Red Cross or directly to the LGUs that are soon to be the sister cities of Batac that were affected namely Boronggan and Bayabay both in Leyte, Bogo in Cebu and Catbalogan in Samar.

He added that the city government will also give financial assistance that will come from the calamity fund and this will be in time for their reconstruction and rehabilitation and not with the relief operations.

He stressed that the rehabilitation and reconstruction would be time when huge amounts are needed and the city government’s allocation of aid would be in terms of construction materials.

San Nicolas also answers the call

The municipality of San Nicolas under the leadership of Mayor Melanie Grace Valdez is now also consolidating the collected cash and goods donations her constituents.

Valdez divulged that her office is presently contacting the foundations of the big TV networks and Air 21 for the collection of these donations.

She expressed her thanks to her fellow San Nicoleños for sharing what they have for the supertyphoon’s victims.

Relative to this, the municipal officials and employees of the municipality launched Oplan Saranay solely for the giving of relief to the victims.

She added that the municipal government is also looking as to how much would be given depending on the availability of funds from the calamity fund and it may also be give during the rehabilitation.

She also said that the financial assistance will be given to a municipality that is not being reached by help compared to other municipalities and cities.

The mayor then announced that a family from Tacloban City just arrived recently; their matriarch is from Barangay 13 in this municipality and they lost everything as “Yolanda” inundated the Visayan city.

The mayor said the said family is sought financial assistance from volunteers so they could relocate to San Nicolas and start their new lives there.

During a last flag raising ceremony, the mayor asked the help of all the municipal officials and employees for help and they were able to collect cash that were later given to that family.