• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
The municipal government of Hinigaran in Negros Occidental has announced that it will release the P5 million aid extended by the Office of the President (OP) this week, to residents who lost their homes due to Typhoon Tino.
Hinigaran Vice Mayor Nadi Arceo said in an interview that the local government will provide an additional P4.5 million on top of the presidential aid, bringing the total disbursement to P9.5 million.
“Our P5 million will be released to the victims, and we have added another P4.5 million from the LGU’s funds,” Arceo emphasized.
Despite ongoing challenges faced by the province and some hard-hit localities, particularly due to delays in processing the necessary documents for fund disbursement, Arceo assured that the release of funds will proceed, despite the procedural delays.
He acknowledged that, while the documents are important, the decision to release the funds depends on the discretion of the local chief executive.
“It is at the discretion of the mayor. Whether it’s to buy food, rice, or allocate for recovery efforts. But for us, we will provide cash assistance directly to the victims,” he explained.
According to an announcement issued by Mayor Grace Arceo, 3,180 families who entirely lost their homes are set to receive P3,000 each. The mayor clarified that only those with completely destroyed houses are eligible for such financial aid.
That assistance is separate from the aid provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Hinigaran, Binalbagan, and Isabela each received P5 million from the OP, while La Castellana, La Carlota, and Moises Padilla each received P10 million. The Provincial Government of Negros Occidental also received P50 million from OP.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson had earlier mentioned that the funds are currently on standby, pending the completion of required signatures, including that of the former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. accepted Bersamin’s resignation on November 17.
Lacson has sent someone to the OP to expedite the processing of necessary documents for financial aid to be utilized.*
