Albay needs P166.7 million to continue aid amid Mayon Volcano unrest

Albay Gov. Edcel Greco Lagman has asked for P166.7 million from the national government to ensure the  continued assistance to thousands of residents affected by the restiveness of Mayon Volcano.

At a situational briefing, Lagman explained to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that the provincial government needed an estimated P196,711,000 to aid the evacuees for 90 days.

Of the amount, P156.71 million would go to relief services; P5 million to water and sanitation; P10 million to health emergency services;  P10 million to temporary learning spaces; P5 million to livestock evacuation; P5 million to logistics; and P10 million for emergency assistance.

Lagman said P30 million from the province’s quick response fund is already being used by the provincial government. It was accessed after the province declared a state of calamity on June 9.

“Kung mapapansin po natin medyo maliit po ang aming quick response fund at P30 million. Ito po ang kinakailangan namin for support, P166,711,000. Total amount needed for support,” Lagman said.

(If you will notice, our quick response fund is small at P30 million. This is what we need for support. P166,711,000, total amount needed for support.)

Albay’s current funding will only last for 14 days of the response.

“They can only sustain the continuous support for evacuees for 14 days,” Marcos said.

“The province is already providing all of these P30 million, we will have to make up the difference. The final figure of P166,711,000 is something we can dig… [Let’s see] where that is all supposed to go,” he added.

Marcos said the figure needed to be checked if it would be sufficient.

“Let’s go into that in terms of the requirements the evacuees are going to need… Round numbers are never quite right. We have to get it right,” Marcos said.

Albay Representatives Edcel Lagman, Joey Salceda, and Fernando Cabredo on Wednesday thanked the Marcos administration and Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte for the delivery of aid in their hometown amid Mayon Volcano’s unrest.

The assistance included P33 million worth of cash and relief pack assistance.

The Speaker’s office announced that at least 1,420 relief packs have been released each to Albay’s first and second districts while the same number of relief packs are being readied for the third.

The assistance package, which was put together by the Office of Speaker Romualdez and Tingog party list, consists of P1 million (P500,000 in cash and P500,000 worth of relief packs) from Romualdez and Tingog and P10 million worth of payouts from DSWD’s AICS for each of Albay’s first three districts. —with a report from Llanesca T. Panti/NB, GMA Integrated News

Albay needs P166.7 million to continue aid amid Mayon Volcano unrest
Source: Filipino Viral News PH