Presidential aid distributed by Frasco, Angara to thyphoon-hit Negrenses

Heeding the orders of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., cabinet secretaries, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Education Secretary Edgardo Angara, on Tuesday, led the distribution of relief packs to hundreds of Negrenses in La Carlota City.

Before the distribution, Secretary Frasco announced that some P95 million in immediate financial assistance would be allocated for Negros Occidental to boost rehabilitation efforts.

Specifically, the President has approved and granted a presidential assistance fund of P50 million for the province of Negros Occidental, and P10 million each for La Carlota City, and the municipalities of La Castellana and Moises Padilla. Meanwhile, P5 million each will be allotted to the municipalities of Binalbagan, Isabela, and Hinigaran.

“We hope that through the President’s act of sending his Cabinet members, you will remember that you are not alone in your hardship. The national government is here, together with your local government, from the province to the local level; all government agencies are here to help you until the time that you can rise again,” Secretary Frasco said.

Throughout the day, the cabinet executives facilitated the distribution of family food packs, family kits, and hygiene kits from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to families across multiple evacuation centers and municipalities in the province.

Aside from that, the Department of Health turned over 100 jerrycans and medicine boxes, while the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) provided 25 shelter-grade tarpaulins, respectively, to each locality.

Secretary Frasco also visited hard-hit infrastructure sites and residential areas to determine the extent of the typhoon’s damage and identify possible areas for government assistance, aligning with local officials regarding the status of ongoing repair efforts, specifically in the Biao spillway in Binalbagan, a crucial path for access to other barangays and a tourism road.

The cabinet executives likewise inspected the Jose Pepito Montilla Garcia Sr. National High School, which sustained ceiling-high flood and damage to learning supplies and properties due to Typhoon Tino.

Secretary Frasco also met with officials from the Riverside Area of Brgy. Poblacion in Moises Padilla and the collapsed Buhangin River “Wipe-Out Bridge” in La Castellana to determine where government funding should be prioritized to improve access, connectivity, and welfare, especially at the height of the harvest and milling season.