City to help rebuild Marikina day care center

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor-on-leave Tomas Osmeña is scheduled to visit Marikina City today to inspect a day care center that was badly damaged by “Ondoy.”

In an interview with The Freeman yesterday, Osmeña said that with the influx of donations for the victims of “Ondoy,” Cebu City will no longer be sending goods or cash to Manila, but instead will help reconstruct a day care center in Marikina.

Cebu City and Marikina are both members of the Big Brother program.

Marikina Mayor Maridess Fernando said earlier she would want the day care center to be reconstructed into a three-storey building so that its upper floors would not be badly affected in the event of another storm.

Marikina City is among the worst hit areas in Luzon the other week by typhoon Ondoy with 80 percent of its streets submerged in rainwater.

“Of course we give clothes but we don’t even know who’s wearing them…or noodles, wala ta kahibalo kinsa natagaan, so might as well help this daycare center,” Osmeña said.

“There is more money coming in and out for Ondoy and I want the Cebuanos to see something tangible. So we don’t just give financial assistance…of course it is still cash but it is for something concrete,” Osmeña added.

In the past, the city has given financial assistance to several local government units that were badly devastated by typhoon.

Osmeña, who went on leave in September for a routine check up at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston Texas, extended his leave to give way for the investigation of his son Miguel over an alleged harassment controversy.

The police closed the investigation last week following non-cooperation from the supposed victim.

Still, Osmeña pushed through the extension of his leave, which raised speculations from the opposition that his absence has something to do with his health.

He was diagnosed with cancer of the urinary bladder late last year and underwent surgery and chemotherapy at MD Anderson this April. He came home last May after doctors pronounced him cancer free. – Ferliza C. Contratista/JMO (THE FREEMAN)