• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has granted an additional P45 million in cash aid to localities in Negros Occidental severely affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Tino.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco made the announcement during her visit to the province on Tuesday, as she discussed recovery efforts with Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.
Among the beneficiaries are the towns of Moises Padilla, La Castellana, and La Carlota City. Each will receive P10 million for the rehabilitation of damaged areas. Moreover, towns of Binalbagan, Isabela, and Hinigaran were also granted P5 million pesos each for their recovery efforts.
The additional cash aid will be given to the local government units, which is on top of the P50 million financial assistance announced by the president after his declaration of the state of national calamity.
Further, Frasco, alongside Education Secretary Sonny Angara, led the ceremonial turnover of family food packs, family kits, and hygiene kits from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to the victims of the typhoon.
Secretaries Frasco and Angara afterwards inspected the bridges and spillways in the severely affected areas, which were badly damaged due to the flash floods caused by the typhoon.
Meanwhile, the DSWD Negros Island Region reported that since November 3, a day before the typhoon struck the province, more than P8.2 million worth of food and non-food goods have been delivered to the four localities. These include family food packs, hygiene kits, sleeping kits, and kitchen kits.
In addition, the provincial government has also delivered more or less 20,000 food packs to the internally displaced individuals after the devastation of the typhoon, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said yesterday.
“This might not be enough for some, but we are counting those who were inside the evacuation centers,” he said, citing that the province prioritized the severely affected individuals.
In Negros Oriental, the DSWD through its Crisis Situation (AICS) program also extended their Psychological First Aid (PFA) to the 18 families in Canlaon City who suffered severe losses in properties and lives. Each family has received P10,000 cash aid from DSWD-NIR.*
