Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Education Secretary Sonny Angara led the Marcos administration’s relief operations to typhoon-affected communities in Negros on Tuesday (Nov. 11).
Representing the President in the on-ground coordination with local government units (LGUs) in the Negros Island Region (NIR), Secretary Frasco announced that some P95 million in immediate financial assistance will be allocated for Negros Occidental to boost rehabilitation efforts.
Specifically, the President has approved and granted a presidential assistance fund of P50 million for the province of Negros Occidental, and P10 million each for La Carlota City, and the municipalities of La Castellana and Moises Padilla. Meanwhile, P5 million each will be allotted to the municipalities of Binalbagan, Isabela, and Hinigaran.
“Nanghinaot mi nga pamaagi sa pagpadala sa Presidente sa iyahang mga miyembro sa gabinete, mahimduman ninyo na wala mo nag-inusara sa inyong kalisod. Naa ang nasyonal na panggobyerno, kauban sa inyong lokal na gobyerno, from the province to the local, tanang ahensya sa gobyerno, naa ngamubulig ka ninyo hangtod sa panahon nga kamo mubangon pagbalik,” (We hope that through the President’s act of sending his Cabinet members, you will remember that you are not alone in your hardship. The national government is here, together with your local government, from the province to the local level, all government agencies are here to help you until the time that you are able to rise again.) Secretary Frasco said in her message at the ceremonial distribution at La Carlota City.
From day to night, the cabinet executives facilitated the distribution of family food packs, family kits, and hygiene kits from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to families across multiple evacuation centers and municipalities in the province.
Further, the Department of Health (DOH) turned over 100 jerrycans and medicine boxes, while the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) provided 25 shelter-grade tarpaulins, respectively, to each locality.
On-ground monitoring, inspections
DOT Secretary Frasco also visited hard-hit infrastructure sites and residential areas to determine the extent of the typhoon’s damage and identify possible areas for government assistance, aligning with local officials regarding the status of ongoing repair efforts, specifically in the Biao spillway in Binalbagan, a crucial path for access to other barangays and a tourism road.
The cabinet executives likewise inspected the Jose Pepito Montilla Garcia Sr. National High School, which sustained ceiling-high flood and damage to learning supplies and properties due to Typhoon Tino.
Meanwhile, Secretary Frasco also met with officials from the Riverside Area of Brgy. Poblacion in Moises Padilla and the collapsed Buhangin River “Wipe-Out Bridge” in La Castellana to determine where government funding should be prioritized to improve access, connectivity, and welfare, especially at the height of the harvest and milling season.
