Metro Manila 'adopts' Lando-hit areas

MANILA, Philippines - Similar to what they have done in the wake of typhoon Yolanda two years ago, mayors of Metro Manila composing the Metro Manila Council (MMC) on Wednesday agreed to “adopt” towns and cities which have been devastated by typhoon Lando.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) officer-in-charge Emerson Carlos said that just like what Metro Manila executives did when Yolanda hit, each Metro Manila mayor would select a local government unit affected by the typhoon and offer assistance based on its capacity to adopt.

Carlos said each Metro mayor could adopt two or three Lando-hit local government units and help them in their recovery efforts within a year.

The MMC which is composed by the 17 mayors of Metro Manila is the policy-making body of the MMDA.  

Carlos said the funds to be used by each Metro LGU for the “adopt-an-LGU scheme” would be sourced out from the respective Metro mayors’ disaster risk reduction management funds.

An initial 18 municipalities in Luzon affected by Lando have been identified for adoption by the metro mayors, Carlos said.

Under the adoption scheme, Muntinlupa City will adopt Jaen and Lupao, both in Nueva Ecija; Valenzuela City will provide help in Antonio, Nueva Ecija; Las Piñas City will provide assistance in Calumpit, Bulacan; Quezon City will adopt San Miguel, Bulacan; Bambang, Nueva Ecija; and Baler, Aurora; San Juan City will provide help in Caba, La Union; and Manila will adopt Cabanatuan City.

Carlos said other Metro LGUs, including Pasay and Taguig have yet to select a municipality to adopt as representatives only attended Wednesday’s MMC meeting.

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista said the city decided to adopt Aurora in Baler as it was the birthplace of President Manuel Quezon. Bautista also said he chose San Miguel, Bulacan as it is the hometown of his mother.

“Priority sa pagtulong sa mga naapektuhan ng typhoon Lando. Same approach nung tinulungan namin ang victms ng Yolanda. Nag-adopt kami ng resolution, some LGUs will be waiting for a list na iaadopt nila preferably, kung tatlong magkakatabing lungsod kung kaya nman ng LGU,” he said.

Meanwhile, San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez said the city chose the Municipality of Caba in La Union as it matches San Juan City in terms of land area and revenue.

“I chose it because I said this is a matching game. San Juan is small in area and its revenues. Ito lang yung aming kaya with 866 families affected,” she said.

“We will give relief goods, or whatever they will need. I will get in touch with them. If they have displaced students, we can enroll them in San Juan,” she added.