President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has earmarked PHP95 million in aid for the recovery of several Negros Occidental towns severely affected by Typhoon Tino.
The allocation was announced on Tuesday evening by Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, who, with Education Secretary Sonny Angara, was in the province to represent Marcos in providing relief and conducting an on-the-ground assessment.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) said the presidential assistance fund will be coursed through local government units to boost rehabilitation efforts.
Of the total amount, PHP50 million is allocated for the province of Negros Occidental; PHP10 million each for La Carlota City, and the municipalities of La Castellana and Moises Padilla; and PHP5 million each for Binalbagan, Isabela, and Hinigaran.
“We hope that through the President’s act of sending his Cabinet members, you will remember that you are not alone in your hardship,” Frasco said during the ceremonial distribution at La Carlota City.
“The national government is here, together with your local government, from the province to the local level, all government agencies are here to help you until the time that you are able to rise again,” she added.
The two Cabinet secretaries facilitated the distribution of family food packs, family kits, and hygiene kits from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to families across multiple evacuation centers and municipalities in the province.
At least 100 jerrycans, a box of assorted medicines from the Department of Health, and 25 shelter-grade tarpaulins were likewise turned over to each locality.
In addition, the two officials visited residential areas and hard-hit infrastructure sites, such as the collapsed Buhangin River “Wipe-Out Bridge” in La Castellana, to determine the extent of the typhoon’s damage and identify possible areas for government assistance.
The DOT said the national government is also “aligning with local officials the status of ongoing repair efforts,” specifically in the Biao spillway in Binalbagan, a key access to other barangays and a tourism road.
Among the sites inspected by the officials was Jose Pepito Montilla Garcia Sr. National High School, which sustained ceiling-high flood and damage to learning supplies and properties. (PNA)