Charity help to continue, say Cebu City solons

WITH the pressure to scrap the pork barrel, what happens to indigents who rely on charity sponsorship of congressmen for hospital care?

Two Cebu City congressmen said they will continue their medical and burial assistance programs even if President Benigno Aquino III abolishes the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Rep. Raul del Mar of the north district and Rodrigo Abellanosa of the south district said they would coordinate with the Departments of Health (DOH) and Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to ensure continuity of their programs. .

Del Mar, who has served six terms in Congress, said he made it a practice to allocate P24 million of his P70 million PDAF share for medical and burial aid for indigents coursed through the DSWD.

The remaining P46 million is allocated at P1 million for each of the 46 north district barangays that get to identify a project. For indigents seeking medical care, his office signs a referral letter to social workers to accomodate them. Each beneficiary can avail of P25,000 worth of medical assistance per year, del Mar said.

His daughter Rachel “Cutie” del Mar, the previous representative, continued her father’s health program when she served from 2010 to 2013.

“Pork has been my source of funds for my medical assistance projects, burial assistance, assistance to victims of demolitions, fires, typhoons and other calamities and emergencies for poor and minimum wage earners,” del Mar said.

Abellanosa, a first-time congressman, has not yet received his PDAF share. His help to constiuents has been from personal resources, he said.

He would either give cash or issue referral letters to the DSWD and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. /Doris C. Bongcac, Chief of Reporters