Tent City residents get help from Japanese association

CEBU, Philippines - More than two months after super typhoon Yolanda wreaked havoc in the Visayas, help continues to pour in to the 54 families hosted by the Cebu City government in the Tent City at the South Road Properties.

The Japanese Association Cebu, Inc yesterday donated mattresses, hygiene kits, LGP tanks, and stuffed toys to the evacuees. The total donation is estimated to be worth P170,000.

JAC Chairman Yukihiro Mimura said the items they distributed were based on the actual needs of the families in the Tent City.

"We asked them (54 families) what they need. We also saw their hard condition sleeping without thick mattresses," Mimura said.

He said the items were the "last wave" of donation from the money they raised from 2, 000 Japanese residents in Cebu. JAC also extended help in Tacloban and Northern Cebu which were greatly devastated by super typhoon Yolanda last year.

The Junior Jaycees Inc. also conducted a feeding program yesterday in the Tent City.

"Di gyod mamroblema ang mga pamilya kay daghan kaayo motabang nila," Vic Jay Gonzal, Tent City in-charge of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).

Meanwhile, PRC yesterday conducted the first general assembly tackling about the families' accommodation, security, livelihood, among others.

Gonzal, however, said that the results of yesterday's discussion are still considered "unofficial" pending approval from the PRC national headquarters.

Prior to the agreement between Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and PRC chairman Richard "Dick" Gordon, the families were given three months or until March 23 to be accommodated. The Tent City opened last December 23.

"This (tent city) temporary lamang and the families already knew about this. They are allowed to stay while ilang houses gi-fix pa didto sa Tacloban," Gonzal said

According to Gonzal, all the families expressed interest to stay in Cebu for good.

"Ang city government i-prioritize man ang own constituents kay sa ilaha. So, unsay decision sa city, i-advise namo sila  to look for another place nga ilang mapuy-an," he said.  (FREEMAN)