Bereavement fund for urban poor sought

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City councilor Dennis Basillote wants the City’s Urban poor federation to put UP its own bereavement fund.

“Bisa’g P10 lang kada miyembro, maayo na kaayo na. Para intawon di sad maglisud ilang pamilya kung simbako mamatay sila,” said the councilor.

Basillote, who is chairman on council committee on the Urban Poor, said he has been thinking about it already, and that he is set to open the idea to the Federation of Talisay City Urban Dwellers Association (Fetcuda) within the week.

The setup would require each registered urban poor member to contribute P10 every time there is death among them, said the legislator.

There are about 9,000 FETCUDA members, which means a member who died will get at least P90,000 from this program.

“Maayo na kaayo ng P90,000 para sa pamilya sa namatyan,” Basillote said.

“Kung modaghan pa ang mga miembro, modako pud ang ilang madawat,” he said.

Meanwhile, Basillote said by next year, the city will purchase more lots to be made into relocation sites for the city’s 9,000 homeless families.

The council has recently allocated P10 million from P470 million 2012 budget for the purchase of lots. Basillote said this P10 million is “exclusively for the urban poor.”  (FREEMAN NEWS)