CEBU, Philippines - Four towns in Bantayan island, which were hit by typhoon Yolanda last Nov. 8, recently received financial assistance from the Mandaue City government.
Mayor Jonas Cortes and city councilors went to Bantayan island last Friday to give P400,000 to Sta. Fe town, P400,000 to Madridejos town, and P550,000 to Bantayan town.
Cortes handed the financial assistance himself to the mayors.
In Sta. Fe town, Vice Mayor Celso Espina received the cash in behalf of Mayor Jose Esgana who was at a meeting of the League of Municipal Mayors.
Espina told Cortes the money will be used for rehabilitation projects.
He said relocation sites have been identified in three barangays, namely, Ocoy, Tabunok, and Mangcalayan.
Mayor Salvador dela Fuente welcomed Cortes and the councilors in Madridejos town.
Dela Fuente told the mayor the money will be spent on a 60 KVA generator that will be sent to the Madridejos Community Water System.
He said the equipment worth P550,000 would be necessary during times of calamities.
In Bantayan town, Mayor Ian Christopher Escario received the money and told the mayor it will temporarily be placed in a trust fund.
He said Bantayan town has 25 barangays and twenty of these are coastal barangays.
The town will have to assess first which barangay can host a relocation site, he said.
It was the second time for the mayor and city councilors to travel to the northern part of Cebu.
Last month, they went to seven towns to give financial assistance. (FREEMAN)