Benguet seeks more aid from Duterte

BENGUET needs more financial help from President Rodrigo Duterte.

During the Provincial Board’s regular session, the body approved a resolution on third and final reading seeking the help of President Duterte to provide additional assistance in view of the stoppage of all smallscale mining (SSM) activities in the province.

The resolution also cited Benguet as one of the affected provinces in the Cordillera Administrative Region that was hit by typhoon Ompong last September.

“The compounded effect of typhoon Ompong is devastating that caused the loss of lives, great damages to crops, properties, animals and infrastructures worth million of pesos,” the resolution reads.

The approved resolution added “due to the stoppage of SSM activity, the livelihood of small scale miners and their families was greatly affected that they have to resort to other means of income for their family and daily needs.”

Provincial Board Member Juan Nazarro, author of the proposed measure disclosed agriculture and mining is the main source of livelihood in the province.

With the stoppage order of Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu, the livelihood of miners and their families was greatly affected.

The alderman disclosed the main aid needed by the affected

miners and their families entails financial and livelihood assistance.

The municipality of Itogon was severely damaged leading to the death of more than a hundred, mostly small-scale miners and their families due to the huge landslide that occurred in Sitio 070, barangay Ucab.

Nazarro disclosed not only the municipality of Itogon, but other towns of Benguet was affected by the stoppage order. He asked for all that were affected by typhoon Ompong to be given assistance.