Families of 44 SAF commandos to get P100K each from Makati gov't

MANILA, Philippines - The Makati City government on Wednesday said it will give each family of the 44 killed Special Action Force (SAF) commandos P100,000 in financial assistance.

“This is our humble way of honoring and showing our heartfelt gratitude for these heroes who remained true to their duty of safeguarding peace in our land up to their last breath. We express our deepest sympathy to their families,” Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay said.

Binay said the SAF commandos who were injured, but survived the bloody clash will be given P50,000 each.

In addition, the city government, through the University of Makati (Umak), will also offer college scholarships to the children of the slain commandos.

“We are opening the doors of the University of Makati to the children who have lost their father, especially those who are about to graduate from high school or are in college but may be hard up because of financial constraints,” Binay said.

The University of Makati is the first local university in the country to be ISO-certified after earning the ISO 9001:2008 certification. It offers various courses through its ten colleges that include Arts and Sciences, Allied Health Studies, Business Administration, Education, and Technology Management.

In 2013, the city government of Makati granted full scholarship to typhoon Yolanda survivors through the Makati Consortium for Educational Scholars (MACES) of UMak. To date, there are 10 full scholars enrolled in the program.

Makati has long been extending its support and welfare services beyond city limits, in line with the city leadership’s advocacy for inclusive development and equal access to opportunities for growth. It has been giving medical assistance to non-residents from all over the country through the Ospital ng Makati, while its public schools from preschool up to college levels have been providing quality education to thousands of non-residents from neighboring localities and from the provinces.