Cebu City turns over millions worth of cash assistance to 31 brgys

The Cebu City Hall legislative building. | CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A total of 31 of the 80 barangays in Cebu City have received cash aid ranging from P3 million to P15 million from City Hall.

The turnover of the cash assistance led by Mayor Michael Rama was made last Dec. 23, the city government said in a statement.

Amilo Lopez, head of the city’s Barangay Affairs Office, said the 31 barangays were the first to complete the submission of documentation requirements for the release of the financial assistance.

The 49 other barangays will also get their share of the cash aid from City Hall as soon as they comply with the requirements, he added.

Lopez said that the amount that each of the barangays would get would depend on the request for funding that they also submitted.

“Amo g’yud ni silang gi-guide-ran unsaon pag comply, unsaon nga mapadali ang ilang mga requirements. Kani lang gyung 31 ang nakahuman…. Kugihan lang g’yud sa ubang mga barangay aron sila na sab ang makadawat, sila mang tanan ang hatagan,” he said.

The city’s cash aid may be used to fund infrastructure projects that include road concreting and the purchase of garbage trucks, said the city’s Public Information Office (PIO) in a statement.

Pamutan Barangay Captain Ronald Labitad said he requested cash aid amounting to P15 million to fund their rip rapping and road concreting projects and the construction of two daycare centers in their barangay.

The rip rapping and road concreting projects, he said, will fix the damages caused by Super Typhoon Odette that hit Cebu and other parts of the Visayas on December 16, 2021.

Labitad said they also needed two day care centers to accommodate their preschoolers.

“Ang mga bata luoy kaayo ba nga naa ra sila sa kapilya (nag-eskuyla) ba. Walay kabutanang sa ilang mga butang,” he added.

Paril Barangay Captain Nerissa Doncillo, for her part, said she would use the P3 million cash assistance from City Hall to buy a brand new garbage truck.

She said that she is currently paying P8, 000 per month for the rental of a privately-owned truck using her personal funds just to make sure that their garbage is collected.  She also spends another P6,000 per week on fuel.

Doncillo said she is unable to request for fuel subsidy from City Hall since the truck that they are using is privately-owned.

The garbage truck that she is personally renting, travels to the city’s designated dumpsite in the mountain barangay of Binalaw three times a week to dispose their garbage, she added.

In a speech that he delivered during the distribution of cash aid, Mayor Rama urged the barangay captains to cooperate with the city government in the realization of its goal to make Cebu City Singapore-like.

He also requested the village chiefs to help safeguard and ensure the success of Sinulog 2023.

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