Davao City approves cash aid for places stricken by Odette

DAVAO CITY, Davao del Sur, Philippines — The city government has approved cash assistance for provinces, cities, and towns that have been heavily impacted by Typhoon Odette and have been placed under a state of calamity by local legislators.

According to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, the city council held a special session to approve the assistance that would provide P1 million each for the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Dinagat, Guimaras, Bohol, Cebu, Southern Leyte, and Surigao del Sur; P500,000 each for the cities of Butuan, Iloilo, Cabadbaran and Surigao; and P300,000 each for the towns of Kitcharao, Cagwait and Mainit.

Duterte stressed, however, that only local government units that had placed their areas under a state of calamity could be provided with assistance as required by the ordinance that allowed the release of the funds.

She said those provinces, cities, or municipalities not yet provided with financial assistance, may not have been placed under a state of calamity in the first place.

The city government has also sent personnel to Bohol to help in clearing operations.

Duterte-Carpio said the city government had also sent heavy equipment to Surigao City, a coastal city, to ensure that its ports would get back to normal.

The mayor added that assistance of private donors was also sent to some other areas in the Visayas and Mindanao, while those from her groups — the Lakas-Christian-Muslim Democrats and the Partido Fideral ng Pilipinas — were also sent to some areas.

Earlier, the city government has allowed city residents to donate to typhoon victims the food gift packs sent to them by the city government through the Safe Davao Quick Response program.

“Our QR donation, we intend to run it until January 15 (2022),” she said.