Cebu execs give selves quake funds

A SENIOR citizen on crutches is on his way to claim his cash gift from the Cebu City government. LITO TECSON/CEBU DAILY NEWS

CEBU CITY—The Cebu City government released a “calamity assistance” of P20,000 to each of its elected officials and regular and casual employees even as City Hall has yet to deliver the remaining P2,000 in cash aid to persons with disabilities (PWDs) and P2,000 to senior citizens.

The calamity assistance, which City Hall granted to its officials and employees after the 7.2-magnitude quake that hit the city in October, cost the city government P84 million and was released two days before Christmas.

The multimillion-peso calamity assistance was released at a time when the city government was trying to raise funds to build a new Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) after the city hospital’s building was structurally damaged by the earthquake, which forced medical staff to attend to patients in makeshift tents at a nearby fire station.

The mayor, in an attempt to raise funds for a new city hospital, has even embarked on a “piso-piso campaign” enjoining the public to donate P1 each for the hospital. So far, however, the city has raised only a little over P8 million for the estimated P1.5 billion needed to build a new hospital.

Mayor’s bills

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama admitted he received his P20,000 in calamity assistance, saying he used the money to pay for water and electricity bills in his residence inside the Rama Compound in Barangay Basak Pardo.

“We have had many activities at the Rama Compound over the last few days, that’s why our electric bill was huge,” he said.

Cebu City Councilors Margot Osmeña and Leah Japson refused to take the P20,000.

“It would be a shame on me to accept the money because I do not consider myself a calamity victim,” said Osmeña.

Margot is the wife of former city Mayor Tomas Osmeña. The latter tried to reclaim the mayoral seat last May but lost to Rama, his erstwhile protege.

Councilor Osmeña said she would rather have the funds spent on the city’s obligations, such as that to PWDs and senior citizens, instead of allocating these for the use of officials because many city employees, especially city officials, could not be considered as victims of calamity.

The councilor, however, said she did not object to the approval of the P84-million allocation because she also did not want to deprive city employees who are real calamity victims from getting aid from the city government.

The calamity assistance was taken from the city’s general fund and not from its calamity fund.

Beneficiaries wait

While aid was released to City Hall officials and personnel, PWDs had yet to receive the P2,000 balance of this year’s cash assistance from the city government.

The city has 11,000 registered PWDs who qualified for the annual cash assistance of P5,000. But the city government has so far released only P3,000, leaving a balance of P2,000.

The city also owed another P2,000 to each of its 60,000 senior citizens for their P10,000 each cash assistance.

Bertrudes Cañete, a PWD from Barangay Lorega San Miguel, wrote Councilor Alvin Dizon to seek help to hasten the release of the PWDs’ assistance. Her handwritten letter was received at Dizon’s office on

Dec. 10 and forwarded to Rama’s office on Dec. 19 for action.

“On behalf of my colleague PWDs… please help us to already claim the balance of our cash assistance so we can use this to support our needs and further extend our lives,” Cañete’s letter added.

Acting City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas said they had not yet set the schedule for the release of the P2,000 balance for the PWDs and senior citizens.

“We have money for the release of the assistance. We are just waiting for these to be processed,” said Cuevas.

Sinulog

Rama said the PWD assistance might be released before the Sinulog grand parade on Jan. 19, 2014.

“Another holiday is coming, which is the Sinulog. People will also be needing money to spend during the Sinulog,” said Rama.

A state of calamity has been declared in Cebu City following the Oct. 15 quake, which left government structures, including the CCMC, damaged.

The city also felt the wrath of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” on Nov. 8 but no casualties were reported and damage to property was minimal.

Rama sent to the city council on Dec. 13 his third supplemental budget worth P140 million. Of the amount, P84 million was allocated for the release of calamity assistance to city officials and city hall personnel. The balance of the appropriation was for the city’s other payables.

Budget officer Nelfa Briones said the supplemental budget would be funded from savings this year.

She said the calamity assistance would also have to be funded from the city’s general fund because the city’s calamity fund of about P200 million was already “programmed.”

The city council approved the allocation during a Dec. 20 special session where Osmeña and Japson declared they would not get their share of the calamity assistance.