Mandaue to give financial aid to storm-hit cities, towns

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes is contemplating to give financial assistance to neighboring towns and cities in the Visayas that were badly devastated by super typhoon Ruby last week.

Cortes said the city is still conducting an assessment in order to identify the municipalities and cities in the Visayas who will get the financial assistance.

He said he was happy to learn that Mandaue has a “zero casualty” when the typhoon hit the country.

If his plan pushes through, this will be the third time under his administration that the city will extend financial assistance to areas badly distressed by a typhoon.

In December 2011, Cortes, City Treasurer Regal Oliva and City Councilor Jimmy Lumapas gave financial help to both the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan in the aftermath of typhoon Sendong.

Last year, Cortes and the members of the City Council also distributed financial assistance to different towns and cities in Cebu and Leyte after the super typhoon Yolanda battered Eastern Visayas.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 has appealed for more volunteers to help them in the on-going packing of relief goods at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City.

The agency said that additional volunteers are needed especially during the night. It said they need to come-up with 100,000 food packs which are to be delivered to Samar and Leyte, the areas struck by super typhoon Ruby. — Flor Z. Perolina/JRS (FREEMAN)