Mandaue gives up its Christmas party

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City government has shelved its Christmas party this year for its more than 3,000 employees because of the recent calamities that hit the Visayas.

However, each department can still organize its own Christmas party but the employees will have to shoulder the expenses themselves, public information head Roger Paller said.

The cancellation of the Christmas party, the third time it has done so, is part of the city’s austerity measures, Paller said.

The city earlier set aside P8 million financial assistance to 19 towns in northern Cebu and Leyte.

A maximum of P600,000 and minimum of P300,000 in financial aid will be given to each municipality depending of the extent of the damage it incurred and the total number of population.

For the victims of typhoon Pablo last year, the local government celebrated Christmas by helping build houses in a 6.5-hectare relocation site in barangay Paknaan.

In 2011, also during Christmas season, the city turned over P3 million in financial aid to survivors of typhoon Sendong, which affected people in Cagayan de Oro and Negros Oriental.

Michelle Yu, head of the Human Resources Department, said city hall employees have been helping pack relief goods at the repacking center at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).

“All offices and majority of the employees have been volunteering since the repacking at the CICC started last Nov. 14,” she said. (FREEMAN)