CITY RESTORES AID TO SURIGAO TOWN

Osmeña says it was the fault of City Hall why the processing of the financial assistance for San Franciso, which was heavily affected by last February’s quake, was delayed.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said that the City Government will restore the P2-million financial assistance to the quake-battered San Francisco in Surigao del Norte.

Osmeña made the announcement yesterday as he apologized to the people of Surigao Province for the delay.

“It’s pushing through because the delay was caused by us. My apologies to Surigao. It’s not their fault but ours,” he told reporters.

Osmeña announced earlier this week that instead of going to Ormoc City, Leyte and San Francisco, the P12.3 million cash assistance intended for them will be donated to the families of the fallen soldiers who fought in Marawi City due to the alleged lack of effort on the part of the beneficiaries.

The mayor, however, later found out that the shortcomings, particularly in the processing of the aid for the Municipal Government of San Francisco, came from City Hall’s end and not the intended beneficiaries.

He lamented that it was Nagiel Bañacia, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief, who failed to make a follow-up on the matter.

Bañacia was sent by the mayor to San Francisco days after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit Surigao Province last Feb. 10.

A post-disaster needs analysis conducted by Bañacia showed that the town was the most affected area in the province. It was reported that several public buildings, infrastructures and water systems were severely damaged by the quake.

“The delay was on the part of Nagiel. He didn’t do anything. He goes to China for one month for all these seminars...That’s why I am relieving him of all his foreign agenda with our sister-cities. The one in disaster should have rapid response,” Osmeña said.

Osmeña, though, stood firm that the P10.3-million financial aid for Ormoc will be cancelled.

This, despite the request of Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez to reconsider his decision.

He said that the City can help them if they’re hit by another disaster.

“No apologies to Ormoc. It’s their fault,” he said.

Gomez, in a statement, earlier said there was an apparent “miscommunication” on the issue as Ormocanons will always be grateful for any assistance from Cebu.

Bañacia, in a separate interview, admitted that there was a breach in his communication exchange with the officials of San Francisco.

“San Francisco is a fifth class municipality and they don’t really have the resources to fast track our exchanges. There were also unforeseeable circumstances that happened in San Francisco, which have affected the process. But we are working on it,” he said.

Bañacia declined from commenting on Osmeña’s decision to relieve him of his responsibilities in foreign affairs.

San Francisco Mayor Guia Sabanal, who is in Bangkok, Thailand was unavailable for comment. /