QC donates P50 M for Yolanda survivors

MANILA, Philippines - The Quezon City government is set to extend P50 million in financial assistance to the survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte said yesterday.

Belmonte said the funds, which will come from city’s Quick Response Fund, will be made available to cities or municipalities affected by the recent calamity.

Mayor Herbert Bautista earlier asked the city council to look into the possibility of using the fund to support relief and recovery operations in the Visayas.

The vice mayor said the city council will also pass another measure that contains guidelines for the release of the funds.

She said the financial assistance will be coursed through the local disaster risk reduction and management offices of the affected areas, as mandated by the disaster risk reduction and management law.

According to Belmonte, the P50-million financial assistance is different from the support that Quezon City will provide for its three adopted towns in Leyte – Palompon, Tolosa, and Santa Fe.

Elmo San Diego, chief of the city’s Department of Public Order and Safety, said the city has sent a team to assess the situation in the three towns before sending in supplies.

Team leader Mike Marasigan said their assessment will cover various components, including the damages caused by the typhoon, the integrity of structures in the areas, the health condition of the residents, and the social and psychological effects of the disaster.