Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday turned over P6.075 million to the Congressional Spouses Foundation Inc. to provide assistance to the victims of the Marawi seige.
In a brief ceremony at the Speaker’s Social Hall, Arroyo was accompanied by Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt-Romualdez when CSFI president Evangeline Lourdes Arroyo-Bernas, CSFI Region VIII Rep. Martin Romualdez, and other CSFI officials received the oversized check with the amount of P6.075 million and P500,000 cash from lawmakers’ fund drive.
Romualdez, chairman of the House committee on accounts, said the donations were sourced from the salaries of her colleagues and the average contribution of every lawmaker was P5,000 while some gave P10,000 to P20,000 each.
“The fund drive is a collective effort of all House members in the pursuit of helping distressed fellow Filipinos in Marawi City. This will also give message of hope, love and faith that the government is doing its best to assist them,” said Romualdez on the fund drive that started in the previous House leadership.
Vina Pastor, CSFI officer-in-charge, said former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez had turned over P4 million from the House fund drive to help their constituents affected by the Marawi crisis.
“The CSFI will coordinate with the Task Force Bangon Marawi for the utilization of new funds that Speaker Arroyo turned over to us,” said Pastor.
Earlier, Lanao del Sur Rep. Mauyag Papandayan Jr., former chairman of the House committee on Muslim affairs, lamented the TFBM Marawi’s seeming absence of a rehabilitation plan in the region more than one year after the siege.
Papandayan said the place of infrastructure facilities to be erected like market, promenade, and cultural center in the most-affected area was vague and might even further displace the local residents.