BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The provincial government of Negros Occidental is set to distribute P91 million financial assistance to typhoon victims in Cauayan as it winds up the distribution of roofing materials and food packs to affected families.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, who led the distribution of P15 million worth of housing materials to 3,940 typhoon affected families in 15 Cauayan barangays, yesterday said he is targeting to distribute the financial assistance starting next week.
This was after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan gave him the authority to sign a memorandum of agreement between the province and National Housing Authority, which extended P50 million housing assistance to typhoon victims in the province.
The P41 million, on the other hand, was given by the Bureau of Treasury to the province, Lacson said.
Those families who did not avail of financial assistance from their respective local government units are the beneficiaries of P91 million financial assistance, he added.
Each family, whose houses were either destroyed or partially damage, will receive P5,000 financial assistance, Lacson announced.
Right now, it is the NHA that pushing us to hurry up (in the distribution of financial assistance), he said.
The 5th district of Negros Occidental is being eyed by the provincial government to be the first to receive the P91 million financial assistance.
Lacson said they will depend on the list of beneficiaries to be submitted by local government units on who are entitled to receive the financial assistance from the province.
Aside from the provincial government, various local government units in Negros Occidental also received financial assistance from the Bureau of Treasury.
Lacson is also scheduled to distribute housing materials to typhoon-affected families in Candoni and Kabankalan City next week.
Mayor John Rey Tabujara yesterday said that Cauayan also got a share of P57 million financial assistance from the Bureau of Treasury, where P7 million has been added by the municipal government, for distribution to more than 18,000 typhoon-affected families in the town.
Tabujara, who along with former Rep. Mercedes Alvarez, as well as Board Member Jeffrey Tubola,Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz, assisted Gov. Lacson in the distribution of assistance, said they are giving P5,000 financial assistance to affected families in the town.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang and Dr. Jessica Fama also led the PHO vaccination teams, assisted by the Municipal Health Office, in the conduct of vaccination activities in Cauayan.*
