City to give P5M aid to Lawin-hit areas

THE City Government of Davao has pledged to donate P5 million cash assistance to victims of Super Typhoon Lawin (Haima) that struck Northern Luzon and placed several areas under the state of calamity, adding that the city supports the effort of the national government to mitigate the effect of devastation.

Following the request of Mayor Sara Duterte-- Carpio to pass an ordinance authorizing the City Mayor to utilize a portion of the 30 percent Quick Response Fund (QRF) out of the five percent Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund (Calamity Fund) of the City Government for Calendar Year 2016, a resolution was approved under suspended rules in yesterday’s session.

“This [ordinance] is under Suspended Rules in response to the call of Mayor Duterte to treat this as an urgent matter. We suspended the rules of the Council to take up a very important matter and this involves the appropriation and authority to disburse the amount of P5 million as our financial assistance to affected victims of Typhoon Lawin,” Davao City Councilor lawyer Diosdado Mahipus said in his privilege speech.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the P5 million cash assistance was broken down based on the degree of calamity destruction it caused on different provinces.

Based on the resolution presented by proponent Councilor Mahipus, the Davao City Council has approved the P1.8 million assistance for Cagayan, P900,00 for Ilocos Norte, P200,000 for La Union, P150,000 for Apayao, P350,000 for Mountain Province and P1.6 million for Kalinga Apayao for a total of P5 million.

It is expected to benefit 495,937 people, 103,431 families and 1,007 barangays.

“According to local government code, we can use calamity fund sa mga areas within Davao City but, we can also use this to help other LGUs who are in need,” Mahipus