Ambulance, P2M cash aid set for Surigao town

Gomez

ASIDE from P2 million in cash aid, the Cebu City government will also donate one ambulance to quake-struck San Francisco City in Surigao del Norte province.

“I’m going to help expedite the release of the P2 million. And on top of that,  we’re going to give them an ambulance,” Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña told reporters yesterday.

The ambulance which is stationed at the South Road Properties (SRP) will be shipped soon after the P2 million cash assistance is released.

Last Friday, Mayor Osmeña decided to restore the cash assistance to San Francisco town and apologized to residents there for his earlier statements to withdraw the financial aid to them.

Mayor Osmeña said only Surigao made efforts to receive the calamity cash aid.

Both Surigao del Norte province and Ormoc City were hit by an earthquake early this year.

Osmeña said he still won’t release the cash aid to Ormoc City despite reports that the Ormoc City Council approved a resolution authorizing Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez to sign the agreement for the donation.

Last July 10, Cebu City Hall consultant Alvin Dizon and Engineer Roberto Cabarubias were sent to Ormoc City to conduct a post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) there.

Cabarubias submitted a report stating the need to purchase generator sets for the water pumps in Ormoc City due to insufficient power supply.
The Cebu City Council approved a P10.3 million cash aid last August 1.

Mayor Gomez was invited to officially receive the cash aid in Cebu City last September 13 but he was unable to attend.

The date for the turnover of donation was moved to October 23 after Gomez’s staff responded to calls by Cebu City Hall. But Mayor Gomez cancelled the appointment at the last minute.

A copy of the letter posted in Gomez’s social media account showed that the invitation was scheduled on October 24.

In Osmeña’s post on his Facebook account, the mayor said the cancellation of the Ormoc City cash aid resulted from the lack of response and cooperation on the Ormoc City government’s part to Cebu City Hall’s communication.

“If Mayor Gomez cannot even grant the simple courtesy of properly receiving aid, then we will help the people of Surigao and Marawi instead. They probably need it more anyway,” Osmeña’s Facebook post read.