Spanish government gives P6-M to Camiguin

In response to the devastation brought about by the recent typhoon in Camiguin, the Spanish government has given P6 million as emergency aid to the calamity-stricken province in Northern Mindanao.

The amount will help augment the P10 million which President Arroyo earlier released in her visit to the island.

The Embassy of Spain in Manila has also requested the provincial government of Camiguin to conduct a technical study to assess the extent of the damage brought about by typhoon Nanang last month. This is with the end-view of giving additional financial assistance to the local government in order to help Camiguin recover from the ravages of the typhoon.

The humanitarian aid to Camiguin will be in addition to the recent grant given by the government of Spain for its integrated water supply. When President Arroyo visited the island on Oct. 25, Spanish Ambassador Tomas Rodriguez-Pantoja accompanied her and gave a P38 million check to continue funding the projects in the province started some 10 years ago by their development aid agency, Agencia Español Cooperation International (AECI).

The P6 million emergency assistance from Spain will buy distilled water, medicine, blankets, and pillows to help the typhoon victims. These relief items will be purchased locally in nearby Cebu and Cagayan de Oro and transported to Camiguin. The Red Cross will be tapped for the shipment and distribution of the relief goods.

Earlier, there was a plan to send an aircraft from Spain loaded with medicines, canned goods and tents to the island. However, due to a logistical problem ,the plan did not push through. Thus, it was decided to locally procure the goods requested by the provincial government.