The Office of President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go provided assistance to the victims of the fire at Purok Neptune, Barangay Singcang-Airport, in Bacolod City, on Wednesday, May 5.
The Office of the President gave P2,000 each to the affected families, and grocery packs containing frozen food, vitamins, face masks, and face shields. It also sponsored the lunch of the beneficiaries during the distribution program, a press release from the Bacolod Public Information Office said.
The Office of Senator Bong Go, represented by Samantha Dela Peña, in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), gave P5,000 each to the affected families, it added.
The staff of Senator Bong Go also raffled out rubber shoes, tablets, and mountain bikes for the affected families.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia, who attended the distribution rites at the Don Jose R. Torres Elementary School yesterday afternoon, said, “We are lucky that we not only have assistance coming from Senator Bong Go, but also directly from Malacañang.”
The Bacolod City government earlier provided families whose houses were destroyed P10,000 each, while those whose houses were damaged received P5,000 each. Sharers residing in damaged houses also received P3,000 each, the press release said.
The fire that hit Purok Neptune on April 26 razed 55 houses with 61 families or 235 individuals.
Joining Leonardia at the distribution rites were councilors Renecito Novero and Simple Distrito, former councilor Caesar Distrito, Barangay Singcang-Airport Captain Rosinie Distrito and other barangay officials.
Also joining the distribution program were Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) supervising specialist John Robert Ronguillo and Elrose Padernal of the TESDA provincial office; National Housing Authority (NHA) Community Support Services chief Marissa Morillo of the Negros Occidental District Office; DSWD-Region 6 Crisis Intervention Section head Joselito Estember; Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) trade and industry development specialist Sheryl Dioteles; and DSSD-Bacolod head Pacita Tero.
OTHER AID
TESDA offered free training and assessment courses to the fire victims who will be able to comply with the training admission requirements.
The NHA will validate onsite the list of fire victims endorsed by DSSD if they can avail of the Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) of at least P5,000.
DTI will assess the fire victims and identify micro-entrepreneurs and help them. DTI offered all the fire victims a free program for training on entrepreneurship, the press release said.*