Cebu sends more aid to Kidapawan City, seven towns in Cotabato

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes (third from left, in black shirt) along with Mandaue City officials meet with North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza for a courtesy call before they turned over a total of P8 million worth of financial assistance to Kidapawan City and seven other towns in Mindanao. | CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — The local government units of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue in Cebu have extended assistance consisting of relief goods and cash donations to the areas in Mindanao which were affected by the series of earthquakes. 

On Friday, November 8, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan said they are sending a team to conduct a three-day medical mission in Cotabato province.

On the same day,  Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes was in Mindanao to personally hand out the city’s financial donation to the city of Kidapawan and the towns of Makilala, Tulunan, Magpet, M’lang, President Roxas, Matalam and Cabacan.

READ: More Cebu LGUs send help to Mindanao

Lapu-Lapu’s aid

Chan said the medical mission will be composed of 30 individuals including doctors, other health professionals and personnel from the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO). 

Chan said they are working in partnership with All-Terrain Medical Relief Organization whose members are doctors and other health professionals. International Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IPI) is also pitching in to provide medicines. 

The team will also bring with them relief goods, tents and P1 million donation that will be handed to Cotabato Province.

The mayor said the team will cover Makilala, Kidapawan and Tulunas as these are the areas where help is most needed.

Chan said the team will be on a convoy of around eight to 10 trucks and vehicles.

They will travel from Cebu to Cagayan De Oro on board a ship. From Cagayan De Oro, Chan said they will travel to Cotaboto Province. The Lapu-Lapu City delegation will be back in Cebu on Tuesday, November 12.

“Kinasingkasing ang among pagpadala og tabang ngadto sa mga apektado sa linog sa Mindanao” said Chan.

(The relief goods and donation we are bringing to those affected by the series of earthquakes in Mindanao come from the bottom of our hearts.)

Mandaue’s help 

On Friday, November 8, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes along with some city officials personally handed a total of P8 million to six earthquake-hit areas in Mindanao.

Cortes said, in a message to reporters, said that North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza and town officials of the eight beneficiary municipalities including Kidapawan City received the cash donation. 

Makilala town received P2 million while the towns of Tulunan, Magpet and M’lang were handed P1 million each.  

President Roxas town received P500,000, while the municipalities of Matalam and Cabacan had P250,000 each. 

From the Capitol building of the Provincial Government of Cotabato, Mayor Cortes’ team went straight to Kidapawan City and handed the P2 million check to Mayor Joseph Evangelista.

Cortes was joined by city councilors Jun Arcila and Anjong Ouano-Icalina, Mandaue City Administrator Jamaal James Calipayan and Public Information Office Head Eddu Ybañez.

A council resolution was approved on November 7 during a special session which authorized Mayor Jonas Cortes to extend financial assistance to the eight areas in Mindanao. / celr