Rama considers extending help to Daanbantayan

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is amenable to the idea of extending assistance to Daanbantayan town to make possible the celebration of the town’s Haladaya Festival on Monday.

This after reports that former mayor and now Congressman of Cebu City south district Tomas Osmeña offered to give the P500,000 fund needed by the town.

Osmeña denied that he offered assistance but expressed willingness to help should the town ask for help.

Daanbantayan Mayor Maria Luisa Loot told reporters on Monday that a staff of Osmeña called her to inform that the city government will be willing to extend help that the Provincial Government had denied.

The staff instructed Loot to send a formal letter of request addressed to Rama.

Rama said that he has not received any communication yet from Loot but he did not brush aside the idea of extending assistance.

“If it is part of our big brother program, and we have the money or even if we don’t have the money, sharing is a very important virtue and most of all serving,” he said.

Rama promised to study the matter once he received the formal request. He said that it is possible under the Big Brother Program just like the city is currently extending financial assistance to the senior citizens and high school graduates of the Municipality of Cordova.

But an agreement will have to be signed between the city government and Daanbantayan. The proposed agreement will also have to be examined and approved by the city council first.

He said that they will try to help in ways possible since Daanbantayan expressed its interest in participating during the Sinulog Festival on January next year. (FREEMAN)