Mountain of used clothing in Cordova, ukay-ukay not part of typhoon donation

CEBU, Philippines - Cordova town Mayor Adelino Sitoy yesterday denied reports that the heaps of ukay-ukay in his town are part of relief goods intended for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

"No. Dili na sa Yolanda. Sayop na ilang giingon," said Sitoy in an interview with The FREEMAN.

Sitoy said the mountain of used clothing poses no health hazards as what had been reported.

The mayor said as soon as people started flocking to the area and rummage through the piles of ukay-ukay, he immediately sent health personnel to ensure that the public is safe.

Sitoy's statement came after some non-government organizations and netizens said that the ukay-ukay in Cordova might have been intended for the victims of Yolanda.

The ukay-ukay is sold for P5 to P25 each, far cheaper than the usual price of relief clothes.

According to reports, the ukay-ukay business at a construction yard in the town started in December, a month after Yolanda ripped through the Visayas.

Cris Vincent Roldan, in charge of the ukay-ukay business, denied that the used clothing were part of the donations for the typhoon victims.

Roldan said the used clothing were part of the deal when his boss, Virgilio Pongase, bought two warehouses at the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ).

He said aside from the used clothing, all those inside the two warehouses were part of the purchase.

Roldan said his boss was not into ukay-ukay business until he bought the two warehouses that he started selling what he could not use for his construction business.

Roldan said they even donated 1,000 bundles of ukay-ukay worth P1 million to the typhoon and earthquake victims.

The rest, he said, are now on display in Cordova.

Roldan said once all the ukay-ukay are sold, they will immediately resume their normal construction operations.

Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, for her part, echoed Sitoy's statement, saying the business is legitimate as far as she is concerned.

"It's a legit business man. I don't see a problem yet. There has been no complaint…" she said.

"Wa ko kadungog ana (that the ukay-ukay are donations). Kahibaw hinuon ko nga ang MEPZ diin na gikan nag-renovate. But we will look into that kung tinuod na," she said.

Magpale added that if there is any incident, "I'm certain the local government of Cordova is sending security." — /LPM (FREEMAN)