TACLOBAN CITY, Feb.24 (PNA) -–The national government is doing all it can to help survivors of “Yolanda” in this city although it might be slow, according to some members of the legislative body here.
This came amid statement from other officials of the executive branch that there was no help yet from the national government.
”They may be referring to monetary aid when they said that the city government has not received any help. When it comes to other assistance like shelter, food and livelihood the national government has been providing us help,” said Vice-Mayor Jerry Yaokasin.
Yaokasin explained that the assistance was coursed through line government agencies like the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, departments of agriculture, of social welfare and development, and of health, and many other agencies which had been helping survivors of “Yolanda”.
”There is even a grant from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) amounting to P10 million for the repair of the city abattoir,” added Yaokasin.
Yaokasin added that even funding from international donors cannot be easily given to the national government or even to the local government as they need a clear plan of how and where their money is to be spent.
The city council to recall has approved a resolution asking some P363 million fund assistance from the national government to augment the city’s dwindling budget.
The council’s chair of the committee on ways and means, Atty. Jerry Uy, said that the fund will not be easily given to them by the national government.
”They need to present a program of work for the project that they wanted to implement using the fund. This also needs legislation from the Congress as this will fall under supplemental fund of the national government,” explained Uy.
He added that the city government has to prepare a master plan that is ready to be presented to any possible donors including the national government so it will be easier to identify the projects that needs to be funded should it insists on monetary assistance.
Uy said that they have yet to receive an update on the master plan that is being crafted by the city government as announced by Mayor Alfred Romualdez. (PNA)