Rebuilding assistance for badly hit Odette survivors in Cebu province increased to P8,000

Concrete posts along the highway in Pinamungajan town, southwest Cebu were not spared by the wrath of Typhoon Odette. | CDN Digital Photo by Morexette Marie Erram

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu Provincial Government has increased the allocation of rebuilding assistance they will give to residents who lost their homes due to Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai). 

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced that each beneficiary of the province-funded rebuilding assistance will now get P8,000 instead of P5,000. 

Garcia, in a recent press conference, said the additional funds will only be for residents whose houses were totally damaged during Odette’s onslaught. 

“Instead of the P5,000 worth of per card, P5,000 worth of good that they may redeem to the LGU or to our partner merchants, we have increased this to P8,000 per card. These are for the totally damaged houses,” said Garcia. 

On Wednesday, January 19, 2022, the Capitol started distributing the coupon cards to families in the south who were badly hit by Odette. 

The province has identified at least 90,000 households that will be granted rebuilding assistance. The figures included those whose properties suffered partial damages. 

The coupon cards will allow beneficiaries to procure rebuilding materials such as fiberboards and nails, emergency items such as flashlights, groceries, and medicines from the Capitol’s partner retailers and distributors. 

However, they are prohibited from using coupon cards in purchasing non-essential items such as liquor, cosmetics, and consumer electronics. 

Odette struck the central and southern parts of Cebu on December 16, 2021.

/bmjo

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