QC gov’t gives P21M to Leyte town still rebuilding after ‘Yolanda’

MANILA, Philippines–The Quezon City government has extended a P21-million assistance to the town of Santa Fe, Leyte province, which sought financial aid for the reconstruction of its municipal hall complex after it was damaged last year by Super Typhoon “Yolanda.”

The grant was authorized recently through Council Resolution No. 5977 as part of the efforts of the city government to help Yolanda victims in the provinces of Leyte and Eastern Samar.

In Yolanda’s aftermath, Quezon City adopted and helped the municipalities of Palompon, Tolosa, and Santa Fe in Leyte in their rehabilitation efforts.

Santa Fe sought financial assistance from the city government to help restore its municipal hall complex, which includes the main building (old town hall), the Sangguniang Bayan Building, the Mayor’s Office building and the municipal public market.

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista sent a seven-man team last year to assess the situation and ensure the effective delivery of services in the three municipalities, whose long-term recovery from the calamity was projected to take three years to complete.

Earlier this year, Quezon City joined other teams in a four-day humanitarian mission to construct houses for Gawad Kalinga beneficiaries in Barangay (village) Pago in Tanauan, Leyte. The city government also distributed relief goods, construction materials and medical supplies.

The mayor urged the 142 barangay chairs of Quezon City to sponsor a barangay from the three adopted municipalities to help people rebuild their communities.–Erika Sauler