MANILA — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday turned over P50 million in financial assistance to the local government units of Iligan City, Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental for El Niño-affected farmers and fisherfolk in Northern Mindanao.
The President handed a total of P10.540 million over to Iligan City Mayor Frederick Siao; P13.920 million to Lanao del Norte Vice Governor Allan Lim; and PhP24.360 million to Misamis Occidental Governor Henry Oaminal.
In his speech before thousands of Iligaynons who gave him a warm reception at the MSU-IIT Gymnasium in Iligan City, President Marcos said he personally chose to distribute the assistance and witness the conditions of the fisherfolk and farmers affected by the El Niño phenomenon.
“Pwede ko naman po ihabilin sa aking mga kalihim ang pagdadala ng tulong. Pwede ko rin iatas sa iba ang paghahatid ng serbisyo. Ngunit kung gagawin ko iyon, hindi ko kayo makakasalamuha. Hindi ko makikita ang inyong tunay na kalagayan. Hindi ko maririnig ang inyong hinaing,” President Marcos said.
“Higit sa lahat, hindi ko matutunghayan ang pag-unlad ng Iligan at Lanao del Norte na bunga ng sipag at tiyaga ng kanyang mga mamamayan,” the chief executive added.
The President also lauded the residents and the local government for their resilience.
Aside from the financial assistance from the Office of the President, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided PhP10,000 in financial assistance to 9,588 beneficiaries in Iligan City.
Regional offices of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Health (DOH) also distributed assistance to the residents during the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair.
Speaker Martin Romualdez, for his part, provided five kilos of rice to each affected residents of Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City.
President Marcos last week visited farmers and fisherfolk affected by the El Niño phenomenon in Zamboanga City, General Santos City, and Sultan Kudarat where he likewise led the distribution of presidential assistance worth P10,000 to each beneficiary. (PND)
