As the national president of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia is leading the “aggressive fund-raising campaign” of the League to help member-cities badly hit by super typhoon “Rolly” and typhoons “Quinta” and “Ulysses”.
“The key is in the campaign,” Leonardia said during an online meeting Monday of the LCP Special Committee for Typhoon Ulysses where they initiated a fund-raising campaign to help member-cities affected by the recent calamities.
Leonardia said they will focus their fund-raising campaign on cities in the Visayas, Mindanao, and some parts of Luzon, that were not affected by the recent typhoons, a press release from the city said.
“There are a lot of unaffected cities that can help. We can also appeal to compassionate individuals and those people who make it their personal mission to help those in need of assistance,” Leonardia said.
The LCP Special Committee aims to raise enough funds by Dec. 11, to be presented to the LCP board then for a decision on how it is to be distributed.
In her report, LCP Secretariat executive director Shereen Gail Yu-Pamintuan said President Rodrigo Duterte had placed 74 cities under a state of calamity.
At least 59 cities were hit by “Ulysses,” while 17 cities were “triple-hit” by T “Quinta,” “Rolly,” and “Ulysses”, she added.
IN LEGAZPI CITY
Meanwhile, Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City suggested that the beneficiaries of the campaign shall be the cities with the highest number of displaced families.
Mayor Arnan Panaligan of Calapan, whose city was not struck by the recent typhoons, said cities spared from these calamities should have a sense of generosity to help those hit by these typhoons, and heed the LCP call for help.
The LCP Special Committee for Typhoon “Ulysses” is set to ask help from their vice presidents for Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the National Capital Region in contacting fellow mayors around the Philippines. The rest will contact the regional representatives for assistance.
The special committee is composed of LCP secretary-general Mayor Arnan Panaligan of Calapan City as chairperson, with members, Mayor Antonio Ferrer of General Trias City – LCP treasurer, Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City – focal mayor for Environment, Climate Change and DRRM, Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City, Yu-Pamintuan, Ilyne Rose De Castro – LCP deputy director for Admin and Finance, and Ma. Veronica Hitosis – LCP deputy director for Policy, Programs, and Projects.
DONATION DRIVE
Aside from the P2-million financial assistance, the Bacolod City government has also organized a drive to facilitate private sector donations in kind for typhoon-struck provinces, particularly Isabela, Cagayan, and Tuguegarao.
This is through the Bayanihan Center located at the Tourism Satellite Office near SM City, the press release said.
City Assessor Maphilindo Polvora, who chairs the Food Committee of the Bayanihan Center, said donations in kind can be dropped off at the Bayanihan Center from Mondays to Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For inquiries, those interested may call the Bayanihan Center at (034) 2139332 or 09777187274.*
