DAVAO CITY”•The city government of Davao has extended fresh livelihood assistance to the survivors of the Sept. 2 Roxas Night Market bombing, as part of the city’s commitment to ensure their lives will go back to normal.
A total of 58 beneficiaries received P50,000 each in livelihood assistance from P3.4 million in cash donations the city received for the survivors of last year’s bombing, said lawyer Raul Nadela Jr., chief of staff of Mayor Sara Duterte.
“The beneficiaries were trained by the Department of Labor and Employment and also our City Social Services Development Office to assist them on the businesses they will put up using the money that we gave,” Nadela said.
Nadela said the objective of the city is to make sure the survivors will move on with their lives with a sustainable livelihood, as most of them have lost their loved ones.
Erickson Nacario, one of the survivors of the blast, said the government really took good care of him, from his medical expenses up to his daily needs.
Nacario said the government gave him one sack of rice and groceries every month since he could not work owing to the effects of the bombing. He underwent 13 surgeries just to be able to walk again.
“I am really thankful to the city government of Davao for helping us. They really took good care of us, they even covered our groceries. My wife was also given work,” Nacario said.
Nadela said the city will continue to assist the survivors to ensure their livelihood will prosper “and that they will have a better life.”
Following the incident, the city opened a trust fund for those who wished to help the survivors. A total of P8.7 million was donated by several persons for survivors’ recovery and livelihood assistance.
Nadela said if the trust fund will be used up, the city will shoulder all the expenses the survivors might need to meet.
