MANILA – The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has stepped up its financial assistance to typhoon victims and will release an additional P5.4 million to affected local government units (LGUs), officials said Saturday.
This is on top of the P10 million in financial assistance to typhoon “Urduja” victims that PCSO released earlier.
Alexander Balutan and Jose George Corpuz, PCSO general manager and chairman, respectively, said the P5.4 million will be released for the victims of typhoon “Vinta” that severely affected residents in MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan); Regions VII, IX, X, XI, and XII; Autonomous Region in Mulim Mindanao (AARMM); CARAGA (Agusan Norte and del Sur, Surigao Norte and del Norte, and Dinagat Islands), and particularly Davao City, Davao Del Norte Province, Tagum City, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental Province, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley.
Balutan said the board has yet to release an additional financial assistance of over P3 million for the typhoon victims — the amount saved from the originally approved Christmas celebration budget of the 1,580 PCSO employees together with their familie, for which the agency spent P6 million.
The party became a subject of controversy after newly appointed PCSO Director Sandra Cam attacked the PCSO leadership on media.
“The financial assistance will be turned over to the officials of the local government units concerned for the purchase of blankets, mats, mosquito nets, hygiene kits, food packs, rice, canned goods, kitchen utensils, clothes, emergency first aid kits and drinking water,” Balutan said.
“PCSO will always be ready to come to the aid of Filipinos who are victims of natural calamities”, added Corpuz.
He said that this is the mandate of PCSO, to provide medical assistance and charities of national character to all Filipinos regardless of status, religion or belief.
“The additional P5.4M shall be turned over to the concerned LGUs, to be coursed through the (PCSO) Branch Office with jurisdiction over the aforementioned provinces, which shall also be responsible for ensuring that the concerned beneficiary-LGUs shall comply with all obligations, including liquidation f the financial assistance granted,” Balutan said.
Broken down, Davao City will receive PP2.5M; Davao del Norte, P1M; Tagum City, P.5M; Davao Occidental, P.2M; Davao Oriental, P.6M; and Compostela Valley, P.6M.
