For victims of typhoon Odette: Rama offers salary as aid

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has offered to give his own salary so those who have not yet received their Odette cash assistance would finally get theirs, as he told concerned City Hall departments to already hand out the aid.

This came after the Commission on Audit (COA)-7 flagged the city over the financial assistance to victims of the 2021 super typhoon.

State auditors found out that almost two years after the disaster struck, there are still those who did not receive the promised assistance due to missing documents, concerns over the signatures, and misrepresentations, among other reasons.

Each of close to 160,000 residents already got the P5,000 financial assistance, which the city gave for those whose homes were affected by the super typhoon.

The city’s Department of Social Welfare Services Chief Ester Concha confirmed to The Freeman that there are indeed qualified residents who have not yet received the cash assistance.

She said they already have validated data as there are those who still claimed assistance even after already getting theirs.

“Naa man sad guy uban kanang nagdoble-doble na ba. Kanang naka-claim na unya ganahan pa gyud mo-claim,” Concha said.

She, however, could not provide The Freeman the exact number of residents who did not get yet their cash assistance as she was out-of-town when sought for a phone interview.

She said, though, that it would now be up to Rama when to continue the cash assistance distribution.

“Katong validated na, depende ni mayor kung tagaan pa ba or what. Maghuwat lang sad ko. But nag-ready na mi sa mga lists," she added.

“Kadtong victims sa Odette nga wala pa tagai.... We will have to pay them because they deserve it!” Rama, on the other hand, said in last Monday's flag-raising ceremony.

“Makit-an na ang kwarta…Bahala'g wala nakoy sweldo…. Akong sweldo i-donate nako!” he added. — Kristin De Dios (FREEMAN)