Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan on Monday personally handed a P1-million donation to Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez to help the Leyte metropolis rebuild from a recent earthquake.
Malapitan, who gave the same amount to Marawi City Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra last month, said “it is better to share blessings to other cities who were severely damaged by calamity, than to experience such destruction.”
In November 2013, Malapitan extended Caloocan’s P2-million donation to Tacloban when it was hit by Typhoon “Yolanda.”
Gomez presented Malapitan with a plaque of appreciation for Caloocan’s assistance. He said the financial aid would be of great help to repair more than P300 million worth of damages in Ormoc. Jun David
Malapitan said Caloocan has also been damaged — not by calamity but by the taint of “rotten” cops involved in the recent deaths of three teenaged boys alleged involved in illegal drugs.
Still, he expressed optimism that the 1,500 policemen who were sent to retrain in Bicutan for 30 days will comeback anew, especially those who were previously involved in ill deeds. “Not all cops are bad, only the good ones were affected by the misdeed of a few,” he said adding that he has worked hard to bring change and honor to the city and was tainted by disgrace of some policemen who did not executed do their job well. .
Three barangays – Lake Lanao, Gaas and Tongonan — were totally erased by the tremor. “We have to put up new barangays for the displaced families.
He said of the 2,500 families who were evacuated, 600 still remain in the temporary shelters.
With Gomez is Ormoc City Administrator Vince Emnas. The turnover of donation was witnessed by League of Cities of the Philippines executive director Atty. Gail Pamintuan.