By Billy Begas
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez helped facilitate the immediate release of government cash assistance to earthquake victims in Davao de Oro.
The cash assistance was from the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The Speaker’s Office also gave Davao de Oro Rep. Maricar Zamora and Vice Gov. Tyron Uy a total of P500,000 from the funds it raised from contributions.
“Natural calamities such as earthquakes are unforeseen, and the injuries and damage it causes are of no fault of the victims. So it is only just to allocate and direct the government’s ayuda program to victims of the Davao de Oro earthquakes,” Speaker Romualdez said.
While the assistance does not cover the damage, Rep. Romualdez said “We hope it alleviates a little our citizens’ plight in this time of need.”
“The government is doing everything in its power to restore normalcy to Davao de Oro,” Rep. Romualdez said.
A total of 1,653 families from Compostela, New Bataan, Maragusan, Pagalan, and Maragusan received P3,000 to P5,000 each benefitted from the AICS program.
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Davao de Oro last March 22 causing a considerable amount of damage to property.
House Deputy Secretary General Sofonias Gabonada who represented Romualdez in some distribution sites said, in essence, that when the Speaker’s province of Leyte fell victim to a strong typhoon in 2013, Davao de Oro was one of the provinces to send help and it was just proper that Leyte also responds to the call for help in the Mindanaoan province.
The tribe leaders of Mandaya and Mansaka also gave a token of appreciation to the Romualdez couple for helping the indigenous people community.
Local officials also thanked the Romualdez couple for their help.
