MANILA — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso on Tuesday thanked Manila residents for taking part in the relief drive of the local city government by personally donating their noche buena food packages that were recently distributed to them.
Moreno revealed this during a media interview at the Manila City Hall where he was asked for an update on the city government’s relief operations to help those in the Visayas and Mindanao who were severely affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Odette.
The city government of Manila began distributing early this month the noche buena boxes containing 3 kilos of rice, 5 cans of corned beef, ingredients for spaghetti and fruit salad.
“Maniniwala ka ba na ‘yung mga Christmas gift packages na binigay ko sa Maynila, a lot of them donated their noche buena packs? Binalik nila, pinadala nila sa Leyte, sa Surigao, Cebu, Bohol. Mga batang Maynila ‘yun,” a proud and happy Moreno said.
“Bale nanawagan akong tumulong sila. So ang ginawa nila binigay nila ‘yung mga natanggap nilang packages. Kasi lagi ko namang sinasabi sa kanila… alam ko mahirap ang buhay natin pero at least nakakaraos tayo. Kasi nakita ko ‘yung Visayas, grabe. Naaawa talaga ako sa kanila kaya ako hangga’t maaari kung sino ang makausap ko, hinahataw ko tapos bigay ako sa tao,” explained Moreno.
Moreno said he was in Urdaneta, Pangasinan, over the weekend where businessmen and other groups contributed about P250,000 for the relief efforts of the Manila city government.
The Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer earlier thanked Dr. Honey Lacuna, his vice mayor in Manila, and the City Government Council for the speedy approval of a resolution that allocated P2.5 million in assistance for the recovery efforts in the typhoon-hit areas in Cebu (P1 million), Bohol (P500,000), Leyte (P500,000), and Surigao del Norte (P500,000).
“2.5 million pesos ‘yung sa City of Manila plus ‘yung about P2 million naman sa personal na na-raise natin. Tapos ‘yung mga negosyante sa Urdaneta kagabi about P250,000 and I’ve heard meron na namang darating na cash donations para sa mga provinces,” Moreno said.
Moreno said they still have to determine the areas where the donations will be sent. But the most important thing right now, he said, is that people will immediately get the assistance they desperately need.
“We’re coordinating kasi maraming areas sa kanila talaga walang tubig, walang kuryente so mahirap kaming kumontak. Then, kung sino ‘yung ma-contact namin as soon as possible mapadala namin. The same thing with Cebu City and the province of Cebu the other day,” Moreno said.
Moreno expressed hope that government institutions such as the Social Security System (SSS) and Government Service Insurance Corporation (GSIS) will act fast by providing financial help in the form of loan assistance to typhoon victims.
Moreno earlier urged the Insurance Commission to speed up the processing of insurance claims of Typhoon Odette victims who have lost everything in the aftermath of the most destructive typhoon to hit the country after Yolanda.
“Gobyerno naman ang may-ari doon eh. If I put it in the right perspective. Kailangan lang talagang mabilis kumilos. Wala na masyadong meeting-meeting, or fanfare,” Moreno said.
When asked when he will resume his provincial sorties which were temporarily suspended in favor of relief operations, Moreno said he will just play it by ear.
“We will see. We play it by ear. Kasi ako ayoko magpahinga, sayang. But you know ang gusto ko lang naman eh mauna muna matulungan ‘yung mga nangangailangan, ‘yung mga tao more than anything else. Mairaos lang ‘yung mga tiga-Visayas at tiga-Mindanao,” Moreno said.
Typhoon Odette smashed into the country Thursday last week as a super typhoon packing wind speeds of 195 kilometers per hour. It made 9 landfalls – Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte; Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands; Liloan, Southern Leyte; Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte; President Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol; Bien Unido, Bohol; Carcar, Cebu; La Libertad, Negros Oriental; and Roxas, Palawan – before exiting the country Friday.