Sendong Aid: Transparent accounting

Manila, Philippines - The Senate international relations committee urged yesterday the Philippine authorities to strictly monitor and ensure transparent accounting of foreign and nearby help to victims of Tropical Storm “Sendong’’ to avoid misallocation and misuse of sources.

The nationwide government should, similarly, constantly faucet external help for long-term rehabilitation efforts in communities devastated by Sendong’ particularly in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities, Senator Loren Legarda, committee chairperson, stated.

As international and private sector help continue to pour in for Sendong victims, Legarda known as around the authorities, particularly theNational Catastrophe Danger Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), to make sure that sources advantage targeted victim communities in impacted areas.

“The NDRRMC should efficiently coordinate relief efforts of various donors and manage sources which have been pouring in. Effective administration of aid will immensely contribute to the immediate recovery of severely affected communities,” she stressed.

The woman senator recalled that a yr following Typhoon “Ondoy’’ battered Metro Manila in 2009, more than a thousand households were nonetheless residing in evacuation centers.

“Funding arrived, but results a year following or maybe even two years following had been lacking. We ought to not let this occur within the situation of the Sendong catastrophe. It's crucial to inquire, ‘What are we doing using the money so far?’” she questioned. (Mario B. Casayuran)

CARAGA FLOODS
BUTUAN City - At least ten,804 families or about fifty five,781 individuals had been seriously impacted when hefty rains introduced about by a low-pressure region (LPA) flooded on Monday nearly all areas within the 5 provinces and 6 cities within the Caraga region.

The Office of Civil Protection (OCD) in Area 13 reported that the flooding within the Caraga Area rendered a number of streets impassable, particularly the Talacogon-Sta Josefa street section; Los Arcos area in Agusan del Sur; Awa-Aspetia (Agusan del Sur)-Lianga road (Surigao del Sur); Magsaysay road; Talacogon-Loreto-Veruela-Sta. Josefa area; Daang Maharlika (Rosario area, Agusan del Sur; damage of Sta. Maria bridge; Nuevo Trabajo and Laminga area in San Luis town, Agusan del Sur; Bayugan-Calaitan (Agusan del Suir)-Tandag Town Section; Asuncion-San Isidro-Laak (ComVal, Davao del Norte-Veruela (Agusan del Sur) area; and parts of Surigao-Davao Coastal road.

According to partial reviews, a minimum of 104 households or 334 individuals had been relocated towards the gymnasium and other evacuation centers in San Francisco town, Agusan del Sur whilst 488 others were also evacuated from Bayugan City of that exact same province. (Mike U. Crismundo)

DONATIONS
The South Korean authorities, through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), would turnover these days US$500,000 really worth of relief items for Sendong to the Division of Social Welfare and Improvement (DSWD).

The products would be turned more than by Ambassador Lee Hye Min inside a ceremonial turnover today in the DSWD Central Workplace in Quezon Town.

The donation consists of five hundred sets of tents, 15,000 items of towels, three,000 containers or sixty three,000 items of chicken and beef fried rice set, and 6,800 items of aqua tabs or drinking water purification tablets.

As of Tuesday, some P56.46 million worth of reduction assistance was supplied to 86,188 families or 455,339 individuals.

The quantity came from DSWD-National (P44.608 million), DSWD-ARMM (P500,000), LGUs (P5.580 million), and NGOs (P5.357 million).

Soliman also said the DSWD is distributing family access cards to citizens affected by “Sendong” to quit pretend claimants of reduction goods.

Meanwhile, the Italian government would turn more than today some forty tons of relief goods really worth 500,000 euros towards the Philippine government.

Inside a phone job interview, Alfonso Tagliaferri, charge d’ affaires from the Italian embassy stated the Italian government sent the shipment via a humanitarian cargo flight in the United Nations warehouse in Subang, Malaysia to Davao City.

Tagliaferri stated from Davao Town, the cargo was transported by land to Cagayan de Oro for immediate distribution to the victims.

The relief items consist of tents, water purifiers and other requirements that could assist alleviate the sufferings from the victims of the tragedy, said Tagliaferri who would lead in the turnover at the DSWD regional office on Masterson Voie, Upper Carmen in Cagayan de Oro at 1 p.m. these days. (Ellalyn B. De Vera & Roy C. Mabasa)