Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman on Wednesday belied “unfair" reports that government has not aided flood victims in western Mindanao, saying it has provided at least P19 million in relief goods to affected areas.
Soliman, who accompanied the President to Cotabato earlier in the, told GMA News Online that the government will boost its assistance in the coming days as the affected residents are running out of relief goods while the flood problem is expected to extend for two more weeks.
The secretary acknowledged reports by Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo that the relief goods so far are not enough. Soliman said, “Iba ang sinasabing walang ginagawa ang national government; iba ang sinasabing nagkukulang."
In a report on GMA News’ “24 Oras" newscast Wednesday, local government officials in western Mindanao were dismayed at President Benigno Aquino III’s supposed inaction on the flood problem. Cotabato City Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. remarked, “I think he just came here to visit."
This page requires a higher version browser
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV
Guiani claimed that the relief goods distributed so far did not come from the President. “The relief goods came from the city government of Cotabato," he said.
During his visit to Cotabato City, Aquino distributed food packs and conducted an aerial inspection to survey the devastation affecting almost a million people in one of the worst calamities in the history of western Mindanao.
Church augmenting resources
Meanwhile, a ranking cleric in the Cotabato Archdiocese said the local Catholic Church has been augmenting the “insufficient" resources provided by the government.
“Sa unang bugso ng relief goods, sa unang bigayan lang, ubos na, eh," said Immaculate Conception Cathedral parish rector Fr. Edwin Degracia in another telephone interview with GMA News Online.
In his church that also serves as an evacuation center, Degracia said that P200,000 worth of relief goods get depleted in two hours’ as the center serves at least 29,000 families. “Ngayon, ang reklamo nila, minsan dalawang beses na lang kumain sa isang araw," he said.
Degracia added that without additional funding, the local church can only support the evacuees until the end of the week. “Kung hindi darating ang tulong, made-deplete na [ang funds namin] and we have to stop the relief operations," he said.
Even private groups from outside Mindanao have started pitching in for the Mindanao flood victims. On Monday, the Catholic social-action group Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB) said Filipinos who wish to help affected Mindanao residents may course their donations through SLB.
“It’s one way of showing Christian charity," SLB program manager Bro. Neo Saicon said.
On its website, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines also said at least four pastoral jurisdictions – the Archdiocese of Jaro in Iloilo and the Dioceses of Surigao, Marbel, and Basilan – will collect additional donations during Masses on Sunday for the Mindanao relief efforts. — VS
