Rama hopeful to get P15B aid from national gov’t for Cebu City rehabilitation

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama holds a press conference at the Plaza Independencia on March 17, 2022. | CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City’s request for national aid from President Rodrigo Duterte post-Typhoon Odette has finally been answered three months since the disaster.

Mayor Michael Rama said in his Monday press conference that the national government has asked for a breakdown on where the P15 billion aid will go should it be approved.

The mayor said that this was the President’s response to the P5 billion aid he wanted for the city government in order to recover from Typhoon Odette.

“If we will be able to get P15 billion, we will be able to build a dam. Kanang (that) P15 billion that is from “womb to tomb,” the perennial problems we have will be solved,” he said.

The proposal for the P15 billion would include a dam for increased water supply to the city, which remains to be a problem, especially in the mountain barangays.

The proposal also includes medium-rise buildings for social housing and other solution to the city problems.

The mayor will be sending this proposal in the coming days hoping that the city will get the P15 billion aid.

Meanwhile, Rama said the distribution of the P5,000 aid to structure owners whose homes were damaged by Typhoon Odette continued in the barangays.

Over 200 million was already released to the residents in various barangays.

Rama said he wanted the distribution to be completed already as another budget had been passed in the City Council for aid to more families affected by Typhoon Odette.

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