Quezon City gifts ‘Yolanda’ victims P50M

The Quezon City government will give P50 million as financial aid to survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in the Visayan region.

Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte said the assistance would come from the city government’s Quick Response Fund to support relief and recovery operations in the stricken areas.

Earlier, Mayor Herbert Bautista asked the city council to consider allocating a portion of the fund for the typhoon victims.

The P50 million will be coursed through the local disaster risk reduction and management offices of affected areas.

Belmonte said the amount would be separate from the assistance that Quezon City would set aside for its adopted municipalities in Leyte—Palompon, Tolosa and Santa Fe.

A seven-man team consisting of representatives from the Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS), Quezon City Police District and engineering, health and social services departments left on Sunday to assess the situation in the three towns.

DPOS head Elmo San Diego said the damage assessment and needs analysis team would determine the priority needs of victims.

The assessment will include the damage caused by the typhoon, the integrity of structures, the health of residents and the social and psychological repercussions of the disaster.

Meanwhile, to show solidarity with the Yolanda victims, the Colegio San Juan de Letran Manila kicked off on Monday a fund drive.

In an announcement on its official Twitter page @LetranOfficial, the school announced that Nov. 18 and Nov. 21 would be “No Aircon Days” in its campus in Intramuros, Manila.

“Savings from the aircon consumption will be donated to the typhoon victims,” it added.

The school’s basketball team, the Letran Knights, will also have a benefit game against the UST Growling Tigers on Nov. 20 at the Letran Gym. Tickets for the game are at P300 each.—With Maricar B. Brizuela