Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte announces on December 19, 2017 that the local government will be giving aid to areas hit by typhoon Urduja. (Robby Joy Salveron / davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio announced on Tuesday, December 19, that the city government will give a portion of its disaster fund to areas hit by typhoon Urduja (Kai-tak).
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, December 19, Duterte-Carpio said she has requested the City Council to hold a special session to proceed with the fund’s release.
“We have P96 million from December 19 to December 31 to use for disasters here in Davao City and I think we can spare a little for our fellow Filipinos who have been affected by the typhoon particularly in Biliran and Samar,” she said.
The mayor added that the exact amount will be finalized during the special session which will be conducted once the executive department obtains all the necessary documents.
Areas declared to be under state of calamity include the provinces of Eastern Samar, Western Samar and Northern Samar, and cities of Tacloban and Ormoc.
Duterte-Carpio emphasized that the city government’s cash assistance will be given directly to affected municipalities so that access will be faster.
“We are looking at the population of the municipality and the people affected and from there on we will be computing how much will be the aid,” she said.
“We will be basing on the data that we secured from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the area,” she added.
Just like her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, the mayor also said she is planning to go to Biliran to visit the wake of the victims.
In the province of Eastern Visayas alone, the number of casualties reached 42 while 25 others remain missing after typhoon Urduja made landfall on December 16. (davaotoday.com)