Rama issues marching orders: Release all P5K typhoon aid by February 25
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has ordered department heads to complete the distribution of the P5,000 Odette aid to structure owners. | screengrab from Mayor’s press conference video
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has ordered his department heads to distribute all the P5,000 typhoon aid to structure owners by February 25, 2022.
In a meeting with the department heads on January 28, 2022, he has instructed the City Accounting Department to hasten the obligating of the budget for the P5,000 aid.
The distribution has to be completed before then or else they will face the consequences. The mayor did not reveal the consequences if the departments fail to release the budget on the scheduled date.
“Ang pinakaimportante naay marching order. Kung naay trabahuon, trabahuon dayon. Kung kinahanglan og supplemental budget, trabahuon,” said Rama.
(What is most important is that there is a marching order. If there is something to work on, then that should be worked on. If it will need a supplemental budget, then work on it.)
The structure owners, whose homes were damaged, must get their share as long as they are verified through the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS).
The aid is the same whether the house is partially or totally damaged since the city government argues that even if the home is only partially damaged, the money can be used for other needs.
It can also be noted that some beneficiaries will be getting their P5,000 from the National Housing Authority (NHA) or the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and not from the city.
They may get their aid sooner than the beneficiaries of the city, but a structure owner can only get the aid once.
As for the city’s own allotted financial aid for damaged homes, the budget has yet to be obligated because the funds sourced from 2021 returned to the general funds when the year ended.
Rama has ordered the City Accounting to hasten the process and if it was not possible to source the funds from the 2021 budget, then the local finance must seek out a supplemental budget.
“We will ask the help of the council. We will request a supplemental budget if needed,” he said.
The mayor wants the aid released before or just in time for the city’s Charter Day celebration on February 24, 2022.
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