Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte.
(PNA file photo )
DAVAO CITY -- The City Council here approved Thursday a PHP7.8-million assistance for areas in Luzon hit recently by typhoon "Tisoy" (Kammuri).
"Tisoy" brought strongwinds and torrential rainfall to central Philippines early this month, causing thousands of people to evacuate low-lying and mudslide-prone areas.
Reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the typhoon left 9 people dead and has damaged about PHP5.45 billion in agriculture and infrastructure.
Mayor Sara Duterte said the assistance was Davao City's humanitarian aid -- a tradition of the city to help areas affected by any calamity to help victims recover.
“The budget will come from our City Reduction Risk Management Funds. Under the law, we can use the fund to assist other areas if they will experience any calamity as long as they will declare under a state of calamity,” Mayor Sara said.
Of the P7.8 million, PHP1 million each will be given to the provinces of Northern Samar, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, and Albay.
Calbayog City in Samar will get PHP500,000 while PHP300,000 will be given to Arteche town in Eastern Samar.
"The city has been blessed that it seldom experiences a calamity. This enables the city to extend help to other local government units in its relief operations," the mayor said.
She added that the disaster funds can be used only when there is a calamity. Since the city has not utilized the funding, she said it is better to give aid to other areas affected by a typhoon, flooding, earthquake and any other form of calamity.
“Since we cannot use the fund, we might as well give it to other areas which are in great need,” the mayor said.
Since January, the city has already extended PHP94.4 million in total aid to calamity-affected areas. The amount comes from the Quick Response Fund (QRF), which is 30 percent of the disaster funds.
The city still has PHP36.5 million left in its QRF for the year. (PNA)
