Noy: Gov’t not remiss on relief aid

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino returned from his state visit in South Korea Friday night and assured the public that he and his Cabinet officials are not remiss in providing assistance to the victims of the strong earthquake that hit Bohol and Cebu last Tuesday.

The President said he pushed through with his trip burdened by sadness, and continuously monitored the developments from Seoul to make sure that everything was attended to.

He also said the potential investments that his two-day state visit could generate would be a big help to Filipinos and the economy.

As this developed, Malaysia turned over to the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur a 100,000 Malaysian ringgit (P1.4 million) donation from the World Children Welfare Fund for children affected by the earthquake.

Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, handed the donation to Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia J. Eduardo Malaya in ceremonies Friday at the Seri Perdana, the official residence of the Malaysian prime minister.

The charitable organization Mercy Malaysia also received donations and it will deploy a medical team to Bohol and Cebu tomorrow.

The Philippine consulate general in the US Midwest, meanwhile, sought donations from the Filipino community in the US.

The consulate said the Filipino community may channel their donations to the dollar accounts of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Philippine Red Cross. 

The Davao City government, on the other hand, is set to extend at least P18.5 million in cash assistance to the victims of the earthquake.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said at least P1 million of the amount will be given to Maribojoc town, one of the hardest hit areas in Bohol. The remaining amount will be divided among the 18 affected towns in Bohol and Cebu.

Binay: NHA to give homes to victims

Vice President Jejomar Binay said the National Housing Authority (NHA) would give homes to affected families in Bohol and Cebu despite the agency’s low budget and the huge cut made by the Department of Budget and Management in its proposed allocation for 2014.

Binay, also the chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, said the NHA would coordinate with the Bohol and Cebu officials on the resettlement of families whose homes were destroyed by the quake.

“Those whose houses are totally damaged will be given houses by the NHA on-site or in the resettlement area in the land that we will get from the local government,” Binay said during the NHA’s 38th anniversary celebration.

He added that the NHA would also provide cement, wood, GI sheets and other home materials to those whose houses were partially damaged.

Meanwhile, the Vice President’s son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, deployed the city’s social welfare personnel to Bohol and Cebu to help in relief operations.

The younger Binay also sent a veteran K9 rescue team to Bohol to help in the rescue operations. 

Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza, meanwhile, urged yesterday Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman to utilize portions of the P44-billion conditional cash transfer (CCT) program to implement a cash-for-work program in Bohol and Cebu that were hardest hit by the earthquake.