P531M released to Odette-affected homeowners in Cebu City

By: Delta Dyrecka Letigio - 3 years ago

Super typhoon Odette causes major damage to this residential area in Cebu City. | CDN file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City has released over P531 million worth of financial aid to homeowners affected by super typhoon Odette.

The allocation was released before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ordered a temporary stop to aid distribution here during the start of local the campaign season.

Data from the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) show that the allocation went to 106,212 structure owners coming from the city’s 80 barangays.

With each getting P5,000, the total allocation released so far already amounted to P531,060,000.

The Cebu City government set aside P576 million to aid families whose homes were damaged by the super typhoon that hit on December 16, 2021.

Portia Basmayor, the DSWS head, said around 40,000 homeowners in the city are yet to receive their share of the cash aid as a result of the election ban.

She is asking these beneficiaries to be patient.

“Sa karon nagkuha pa man ta og exemption sa Comelec nga maka-proceed dayon ta sa pagpanghatag sa atong ayuda sa (bagyong) Odette,” said Basmayor.

Lawyer Gerry Carillo, chairperson for the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, already sent a letter to the Comelec head office to seek the needed exemption.

Earlier, Carillo said, Comelec Central Visayas (Comelec-7) gave a “verbal” authority to proceed with the distribution of the cash aid. But in order to refrain from being flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA), they were also told to await the issuance of a permit from their head office.

While they wait for the needed permit, Basmayor said, they will continue to process the remaining claims from Odette victims.

“Gi-continue lang namo. Then once moingon nga mo-go na, mo go na siya tanan, preparado na tanan,” she added.

Mayor Michael Rama has apologized to the beneficiaries for the delay and assured them that the city is doing all that it can to facilitate the immediate release of the cash aid.