Davao City extends P10M calamity aid

DAVAO CITY — To provide support to the storm-stricken areas, the city government of Davao will send P10 million in aid to calamity victims.

The amount was approved Wednesday by the Sangguniang Panlungsod and will be distributed to the areas that were severely affected by Tropical Depression Usman namely Oriental Mindoro, Sorsogon, Albay, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte.

In a press release issued by the City Information Office (CIO), each province will receive P1 million in cash assistance and relief goods that will be distributed to affected families.

The said budget will come from the 2019 Quick Response Fund (QRF) of the city, according to newly-appointed City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council chief Alfredo Baluran.

Of the amount, P5 million cash will be given to the local governments and they will decide on how they are going to use it. The remaining P5 million will be in the form of relief goods for those victims who are still in evacuation sites

The provinces of Sorsogon, Albay and Camarines Sur will receive relief goods worth P5 million.

Central 911 head Emmanuel Jaldon said that since there is difficulty in accessing Oriental Mindoro and Camarines Norte, the city government of Davao will only send financial assistance to the said provinces.

For 2019, Davao City has a total of P130.8 million in QRF, which can be used in times of disaster in the city and to aid other local government units (LGU) that are under state of calamity.

This will be the first batch of LGU that the city will help since other provinces are still under assessment.

Since the time of then mayor and now President Rodrigo Duterte, the city has been extending help to neighboring provinces hit by disasters.