Rama personally delivers cash aid to Abra

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu City Mayor Michael personally led the charge in handing over the financial assistance to different affected local government units of the recent 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Abra.

Rama together with Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head, Atty. Gerry Carillo, and the Mayor's secretary, Atty. Collin Rosell, has already visited some affected LGUs one after the other.

Rama, who is also the national president of the League of Cities in the Philippines, first went to Vigan City where he was welcomed by Vigan City Vice Mayor Randy Singson at the airport and later at the Provincial Office of Abra and in Caoayan.

The mayor met with a few of the province’s officials and assessed the extent of the earthquake's damage.

The Cebu City Council approved the P50-million financial assistance that Rama pledged for the Province of Abra.

The financial assistance will be charged to the Quick Response Fund (QRF) of the CCDRRM Council.

City Budget Officer Marietta Gumia certified that the city’s QRF totaled P58.234 million, which is more than enough as a fund source for the appropriation.

In its resolution that was the basis for the request, the CCDRRMC identified the following places in northern Luzon as recipients of the P50-million assistance.

Vigan and Candon City in Ilocos Sur; San Fernando, La Union also, Baguio City and Tabuk City, Kalinga with P3 million each, Municipality of Tayum, Bucay and Bangued in Abra; Caoayan, Ilocos Sur, and Kabayan, Abra with P2 million each while P25 million for the rest of the Province of Abra.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, accordingly, reported that the damage from the earthquake has already reached P1.2 billion, with at least 109,000 affected families and 14 fatalities in regions 1, 2, 3, Cordillera Autonomous Region, and the National Capital Region. — GMR (FREEMAN)