Guardo: Giving P10M to quake victims too much

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is willing to give up to P10 million in financial assistance to San Francisco town in Surigao del Norte following the magnitude 6.7 earthquake that hit Surigao City but Councilor Jerry Guardo has reservations on the “huge amount.”

Guardo, chairman of the Council Committee on Infrastructure and Urban Planning, was not amenable to giving P10 million as it is “too much” and the city has to save money for future disasters of its own.

“Wala may problema, okay man as long as other LGUs nitabang. We have our own limitation kay kanang budget within the year na then wa ta kibaw sa untoward nga mga incidences bitaw," he said.

He said he did not want those affected by landslides in Barangays Sirao, Busay and Adlaon to “get jealous” knowing that until now, the city has not yet given financial assistance and housing materials to them.

Guardo and Nagiel Bañacia, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, agreed to give cash aid to the quake victims after consolidating their inspection reports.

Both Bañacia and Guardo went to Surigao to check on the status of the areas hit by the tremor that will become their basis on how much assistance to extend. They found out that in San Francisco, the bridge connecting to other towns was damaged which hampers the delivery of assistance.

In addition, public schools were damaged resulting to suspension of classes. Teachers are temporarily holding classes in tents at the moment.

Guardo is proposing an aid of P1 to P3 million which is expected to be formalized in a resolution during the council session today.

Osmeña said he was willing to give up to P10 million after knowing that the town was badly hit by the earthquake but was reportedly “neglected” in terms of aid. He will automatically approve it once endorsed to his office.

At the Capitol, Governor Hilario Davide III will personally turn over Cebu's P1 million cash aid to the Surigao City government on Thursday.

 “Gipa-andam na nako ang check aron mahatud na namo sa Thursday puhon,” he said.

The Provincial Board has already authorized Davide to release the aid to Surigao City to be sourced from the P166-million PDRRMO fund.

 Davide will be accompanied by Baltazar Tribunalo Jr., head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.  The Capitol officials are expected to meet Surigao del Norte Governor Sol Matugas.

Some parishes in Cebu, meanwhile, continued to collect donations for the quake victims.

In a circular, Archbishop Jose Palma has formally asked parish priests and moderators to set aside second Mass collections on Sunday for the Surigao quake survivors. — Odessa O. Leyson and Kristine B. Quintas with May B. Miasco (FREEMAN)