MELISSA, 8, gave P10 from the money she earned selling souvenir fridge magnets near the Magellan’s Cross for Cebu City Hall’s fund-raising campaign for the construction of a new city hospital.
“Let that small amount be my contribution for the construction of a new hospital that will especially benefit poor people like me,” she said in Cebuano.
Mayor Michael Rama launched yesterday the “Piso Mo, Hospital Ko” campaign to raise P1.5 billion for the construction of a hospital building to replace the three-storey, 45-year-old Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
They also opened a trust fund account with Banco de Oro where donors may deposit their share.
“We have a long way off. Those who can help, please help,” Rama said in a message after yesterday morning’s flag raising ceremony held at the City Hall grounds.
Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano dropped P500 bills worth P100,000 into a used mineral water bottle.
He said the Taguig City government headed by his wife, Mayor Lani will donate half a million pesos to Cebu City.
As of 5 p.m. yesterday, the city government raised P5.6 million from donations to finance the construction of a new hospital.
The amount included the P5 million donation which SM Prime Holdings head Hans Sy gave last Friday and the half a million peso donation from Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who visited City Hall yesterday morning.
“This donation is just a symbolism of our solidarity with the city government,” Duterte told Rama, saying he is grateful to Cebu City officials for visiting Davao City a few days after the 2003 airport bombing.
The city government also collected P39,546 from City Hall employees and private citizens.
Mayor Rama’s proposed 2014 budget included P172.4 million for CCMC’s renovation and rehabilitation. “If they (the city council) are kind enough to help, they should come in,” Rama said.
The mayor ordered the CCMC building vacated and demolished after last week’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac and Correspondent Edison delos Angeles