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SOURCE: Press and Public Affairs Bureau

Speaker Romualdez facilitates financial aid to thousands of families in earthquake-struck Davao de Oro
26 March 2023 08:50:38 PM


SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) under Sec. Rex Gatchalian have distributed cash aid to at least 1,653 families who fell victim to the series of tremors that rocked the province of Davao de Oro the past week.

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the Mindanaoan province on March 22, followed by strong aftershocks, that caused a considerable amount of damage to property of the citizens.

Romualdez, along with Rep. Romualdez, helped facilitate the release of cash aid to the victims – most of whom were displaced by the earthquake – under DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Program.

“Natural calamities such as earthquakes are unforeseen, and the injuries and damage it causes are of no fault of the victims. So it is only just to allocate and direct the government’s ayuda program to victims of the Davao de Oro earthquakes,” Speaker Romualdez said.

“We know that the amount of assistance does not really cover the damage done by the recent calamity. But we hope it alleviates a little our citizens' plight in this time of need. The government is doing everything in its power to restore normalcy to Davao de Oro,” Rep. Romualdez for her part said.

DSWD, along with representatives from Speaker Romualdez’s office and local government officials, conducted AICS payouts to residents from Compostela, New Bataan, and Maragusan.
In Compostela, a total of 319 beneficiaries received cash aid of P3,000 each.

House Deputy Secretary General Sofonias Gabonada represented the Romualdez couple in the financial aid distribution and was accompanied by Davao de Oro (1st District) Rep. Maricar Zamora.

The Speaker’s office also gave Davao de Oro 1st District Rep. Maricar Zamora and Vice Gov. Tyron Uy a total of P500,000 calamity fund.

Romualdez’s message was delivered by Gabonada who said, in essence, that when the Speaker’s province of Leyte fell victim to a strong typhoon in 2013, Davao de Oro was one of the provinces to send aid.

It was just proper that Leyte also responds to the call for help in the Mindanaoan province, he said.

In New Bataan, a P5,000 cash assistance was given to each of the 503 beneficiaries, all from Brgy. Andap which was heavily affected by the earthquake.

Also present during the payout was Mayor Gerald Balbin, Vice Mayor Larry Pagalan and the City Councilors of New Bataan.

Pagalan expressed gratitude to Speaker Romualdez, Tingog, and DSWD for their assistance extended to them.

The tribe leaders of Mandaya and Mansaka also gave a token of appreciation to the Romualdez couple for helping the indigenous people community.

The team of Speaker Romualdez and Tingog also facilitated the swift distribution of AICS amounting to P3,000 to 285 beneficiaries from the remote and no network signal Brgy. Tandik of Maragusan, Davao de Oro.

In Brgy. Paloc, Maragusan, Davao de Oro, an additional 465 families whose houses were partially damged benefitted from P3,000 financial aid and additional 81 families received P5,000 each after their houses whose were totally damaged.

Present during the activity are Vice Mayor Cesar Colina Sr., the Brgy. Captains of Brgy. Tandig and Paloc, SB Member Osbert Yanog, and SB Member Joner Gran.

In his message, Vice Mayor Colina thanked Speaker Romualdez, Rep. Yedda Romualdez, and the DSWD for the assistance. (END)

 
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