Victims of Taal Volcano eruption get more aid from Pampanga

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO –– The Pampanga Mayors’ League (PML) on Wednesday donated P1.5 million to victims of the recent eruptions of Taal Volcano.

Minalin Mayor Edgar Flores and Lubao Mayor Esmie Pineda, PML president, and vice president, respectively, handed a check for that amount to Batangas Gov. Dodo Mandanas.

Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda also turned over a check for P300,000 from the Federation of Small-Scale Quarry Operators.

Pineda on Tuesday night led a convoy of 54 vehicles bringing medical workers and public health experts.

The convoy also brought 10,000 food packs, 20,00 packs of sleeping mats, blankets and underwear and 10,000 containers with 5-gallon water.

Mabalacat and Angeles cities as well as the towns of Candaba, Arayat, Apalit, and Sto. Tomas have earlier given cash and food packs in response to what Pineda called “payback” by survivors of Mt. Pinatubo’s June 15, 1991 eruption and lahar flows until 1997.

These belong to the third batch of assistance from Pampanga, one of three provinces that bore the brunt of Mt. Pinatubo’s blast.

“It’s the recovery phase that is very difficult. It’s not just about building homes but normalizing life processes like going to work, being more safe, living as a community,” said the governor who was the assistant of his mother, then Lubao Mayor Lilia Pineda.

Edited by LZB