City Hall, Capitol issue aid to NegOr

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is seeking  approval to release P3 million to P5 million in financial aid  Negros Oriental  towns hit by last week’s earthquake.

Rama asked the City Council to use the  city’s calamity fund.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said it giving aid was all right “as long as you have the money.”

Young also asked what happened to the  P6 million financial aid   approved by the council in December 2011 for victims of Typhoon Sendong.

A total of P3 million went to  Cagayan de Oro, P2 million for Iligan City and P1 million for Negros Oriental.

Rama visited Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City last month to deliver the checks.

Last Sunday, he sent  Alvin Santillana, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, to Negros Oriental  to turn over a P1-million check.

Rama’s earlier announced plan to give an anniversary bonus to the city’s 5,000 regular and casual employees in time for Cebu City’s founding anniversary this month is facing opposition in the  City Council.

Vice Mayor Young said the council is not keen on a bonus when many department heads have complained of having their budgets clipped by the legislature.

City Hall employees were released a P10,000 extra cash gift in December last year and a salary increase of at least 7 percent  effective January this year, said the vice mayor.

A P3,000  anniversary bonus is given every five years while the Charter Day bonus is given every year.

The amounts would depend on whether surplus funds are available from the previous year.

“The mayor is pushing for the passage of a supplemental budget for bonuses. But as far as I know, the accounting is not done yet.  Reviewing the books will go on until  June,” said Vice Mayor Young.

He said surplus funds would be better spent to cover the perceived “shortage” in department budgets.

CAPITOL P12.5 MILLION

While City Hall wrestles with the issue of aid and bonuses,  the Cebu provincial government appropriated P12.5 million financial assistance for Negros Oriental.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia will  hand over the checks to Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Ragay Degamo and  mayors of the affected areas tomorrow.

The  Capitol will give P7 million  to the Negros Oriental provincial government and another P3 million for the province, which was also hit by Typhoon Sendong last year.

The Feb. 6 earthquake affected 21,273 families from the towns of Ayungon, Bindoy, Jimalalud, La Libertad, Tayasan, Vallehermosa and  Guihulngan City.

Aside from the cash assistance, the Capitol sent 2,850 sacks of rice, 605 boxes of sardines, 585 boxes of noodles, 450 packs of bottled water and medicines. /Doris C. Bongcac, Chief of Reporters