QC launches fund drive for mudslide victims

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. launched yesterday a fund-raising drive for the victims of a landslide that buried an entire barangay in St. Bernard town, Southern Leyte.

"I am appealing to Quezon City residents to give P2 to P10 for the victims of the landslide, and we can start the campaign right here at City Hall," Belmonte told employees during yesterday’s flag-raising ceremony.

He said he was saddened by the news of the tragedy, which took place while he was attending a program for cancer survivors at the Amoranto Stadium last Friday.

The mayor also led a one-minute silent prayer for the dead and later asked the City Council to approve an ordinance that would set aside certain amount from the city government fund as its contribution for the relief and rehabilitation for displaced residents of Barangay Ginsaugon.

Council majority leader Ariel Inton said he will work for the early approval of the ordinance so the money can be immediately sent to concerned national government agencies undertaking relief and rehabilitation efforts.

A similar relief effort was undertaken by the city government when flash floods hit Nueva Vizcaya last year. Belmonte personally led a delegation that distributed relief goods to affected residents of Gabaldon town.

Meanwhile, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) announced yesterday it would scrap its planned activities for their 24th anniversary celebration and instead use the funds to help the victims of the mudslide.

Alfonso Cusi, MIAA general manager, said the decision to forego the celebration was made in their desire to take on the social responsibility of reaching out to the thousands affected by the disaster.

From the savings, MIAA has pledged to construct a fully-furnished, four classroom schoolbuilding at the resettlement site.

"We are spearheading this campaign to help the victims because we have seen for ourselves the great devastation that tragedies like this have brought to Quezon, Nueva Ecija, and Mindoro. We simply cannot play numb to the calling," Cusi said in a statement yesterday. — With Rainier Allan Ronda