Navotas donates Christmas party funds to storm victims

To lift the spirits of thousands of distressed people in the Visayas region, hundreds of people in Navotas City will forgo some of the festivities scheduled this holiday season.

The Navotas City government has announced that it would cancel its traditional Christmas activities to raise money for its relief mission to victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in Eastern Samar.

In a statement, Mayor John Reynald Tiangco said the city’s annual Christmas party for government employees and the traditional “Pa-Konsyerto ni Juan Kontra Droga” dedicated to the city’s youth would be canceled with the money for the two events reallocated to the city’s relief drive.

Several activities scheduled during the annual Pangisdaan Festival in January may also be scrapped, he added.

Navotas has adopted the municipalities of Lawaan and Giporlos in Eastern Samar which were devastated by Yolanda in line with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s adopt-a-city scheme.

“Helping these municipalities until they can stand once again on their own two feet will take a while and we will be at their side during these times,” Tiangco said.

Navotas, which is also prone to storm surges and flooding, escaped Yolanda’s wrath as it barreled its way across the Visayas region where it left scores of people dead and damaged millions of pesos worth of property.

“The wrath of Typhoon Yolanda is not a stranger to many Navoteños as we have also experienced firsthand a number of natural and even manmade calamities in recent years,” Tiangco added.

Aside from the savings from these two activities, the city government has also mounted a relief drive, calling on residents and businessmen to donate cash or relief goods.