Welcome set for refugees

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Government, through the coordinated efforts of the Muslim Affairs Commission, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office and Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor, will hold a formal welcome today for the evacuees from Marawi City.

The highlight of the formal welcome will be the disbursement of donated grocery items including a sack of rice per family, canned goods, and noodles, among other items, between 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. today at City Hall legislative building lobby.

Yesterday, the DWUP and the Muslim Affairs Commission finalized the list of 62 evacuee families who will be getting the donated goods today. The said families are now sheltered with their respective relatives in barangays Kamputhaw, Zapatera, Pahina-Central, Ermita, Pasil, Mambaling, Basak-San Nicolas, and Kinasang-an.

Ayaon Punut of the Muslim Affairs Commission said they are expecting more evacuees coming to Cebu. With this, Muslim leaders are asking members of their families to make sure new arrivals are reported so they will be included in the profiling.

Meanwhile, Jamil Faisal Adiong of Cebu City's Anti-Discrimination Commission said they are now looking for ways to help evacuees have their own source of livelihood while staying here in the city.

“We are also appealing to the people that if they want to help the evacuees to acquire livelihood please approach our office,” he said.

DWUP operations chief Genevieve Alcoseba said they are now profiling the children of the evacuees so that they can identify their needs.

“Amo sang gi-identify karon pila na ang nag-eskwela para ang public pud mo-donate og mga school supplies for them,” she said.

They are now studying a scheme wherein a willing individual will sponsor the school supplies of a certain child.

Earlier, CCDRRMO put up a drop-in desk at the ground floor of the City Hall legislative building for those who want to donate items in the form of halal food and drinks, hygiene kits, and clothing, among others. Donations can be dropped off at the building lobby from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (FREEMAN)