Sendong-hit LGUs return Cebu’s favor

It’s their time to help. The Iligan City government has extended financial assistance to the Cebu City government, two years after the latter also helped them.

Iligan City Mayor Celso Regencia personally handed a P500,000 check to Cebu City government as their way of helping the city who also suffered damage following the 7.2 magnitude earthquake last Oct. 15. It was received by Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella, City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas and Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos.

“It was December 17, 2011. I can’t forget that time when the Cebu City government brought heavy equipment to our place and gave us cash assistance also,” Regencia said.

In December 2011, Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro was badly hit by typhoon Sendong. Regencia said he was still the Iligan City Police Office Director then.

Cagayan de Oro meanwhile has appropriated P5 million for supertyphoon Yolanda-hit provinces, including Cebu.

The Cebu City government gave P2 million assistance to Iligan City and P3 million to Cagayan de Oro City.

Over the weekend, students and staff belonging to the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Team of the Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan (XU) went to northern Cebu to disitribute relief goods, said Ermin Stan Pimentel, head of the XU Social Involvement Office.