Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay has officially turned over checks for financial assistance to mayors and representatives of nine local government units from Luzon previously hit by strong typhoons.
Some 48 localities were identified as recipients of almost P20 million approved for release earlier by the Makati City Council for relief assistance in the wake of typhoons “Nina” and “Lawin.”
In a simple turnover ceremony at Makati City Hall, Binay expressed her administration’s willingness to extend financial assistance and technical support to other localities to help build their resilience against disasters.
“We see nothing wrong with sharing the city’s abundant resources to other local government units in the country that have limited resources. After all, we are all Filipinos,” Binay said.
The mayor said she understood the plight of her fellow mayors who are doing their best to serve their constituents with very limited resources, particularly in third- to fifth-class municipalities.
“I know how difficult it is to be a mayor. Especially when funds are scarce yet the needs of your constituents are many, the needs of our citizens must come first. If we’re unlucky, storms and calamities may even hit,” Binay said.
The mayor, however, expressed admiration for her fellow Filipinos who always managed to get back on their feet after every calamity, no matter how tragic. “Resiliency is a Filipino trait that I deeply admire,” she said.
The mayor said aside from financial assistance, Makati can offer other localities its technical expertise and initiate transfer of technology and knowledge on disaster risk reduction and management.
Binay said the city government has been doubling its efforts to mitigate risks and threats faced by Makati as the country’s financial center, including terrorist attacks. She pointed out that the city’s population of around 600,000 balloons to over four million during daytime.
The mayors who personally came to receive the checks were Nenita Cardenas (Sallapadan, Abra); Marlyn Cordial (Caramoan, Camarines Sur); Rolando Tolentino (Gasan, Marinduque); Marisa Red (Sta. Cruz, Marinduque); Lorna Velasco (Torrijos, Marinduque); Arnan Panaligan (Calapan City); and Sergio Emprese, Sr. (San Andres, Quezon).
Vice Mayor Belen Luisaga (Mogpog, Marinduque) and Municipal Treasurer Anita Romasanta (Mulanay, Quezon) represented their respective mayors.
For local government units hit by Typhoon Nina, Makati has given P1 million each to Malinao and Legazpi in Albay, and to Bula, Libmanan, Minalabac, Nabua and Pili in Camarines Sur.
Checks for P750,000 have been made out to Virac in Catanduanes, Sto. Domingo in Albay, and Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.
Eight LGUs have each been issued checks for P500,000, namely, Balatan, Bato, Caramoan, and Goa in Camarines Sur; Sta. Cruz and Torrijos in Marinduque; and Daraga and Tabaco in Albay.
Receiving P250,000 each are Canaman, San Fernando, San Jose, and Biga of Camarines Sur; Gasan and Mogpog in Marinduque; Mulanay and San Andres in Quezon; Libon, Albay; and Bato, Catanduanes. P100,000 has been allocated to Calabanga, Camarines Sur.
Meanwhile, Mayor Cardenas of Sallapadan, Abra, one of the localities affected by Typhoon Lawin, received a check for P200,000.
The amount of financial assistance was based on the number of families affected in each area, as reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Last November, Makati also provided relief assistance amounting to P3.6 million to some 18 localities in Cagayan and Isabela that were hit hard by Super Typhoon Lawin.
Under the Philippine DRRM Act of 2010, the local DRRM Council may transfer funds to support disaster risk reduction work of other LDRRMCs which are declared under a state of calamity, upon the approval of the Sanggunian concerned.