Benguet will donate P1 million to four provinces heavily affected by typhoons Rolly and Ulysses.
Gov. Melchor Diclas said the province will give P250,000 as financial assistance each to Albay and Catanduanes that were heavily affected by Super Typhoon Rolly and Isabela and Cagayan that were hit by Typhoon Ulysses.
Diclas said various individuals from the different municipalities of Benguet also donated clothes, blankets, assorted vegetables, and other goods to the victims of typhoons in Albay through the initiative of Jayson Conda and his team and the Benguet Provincial Government Employees Association.
Albay, which did not suffer much damage during the past two typhoons particularly the agricultural sector, has already received some of the donated goods.
On Nov. 18, President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a state of calamity for the entire Luzon to “hasten the rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts of the government and the private sector, including any international humanitarian assistance.”
The declaration will effectively control the prices of basic goods and commodities for the affected areas and would allow the national and the local government units to use their appropriate funds for its rescue, recovery, relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Agriculture Sec. William Dar said the price freeze is now in effect for all basic commodities.
“This will be good for six months so we are calling on all traders not to take advantage of the situation and let’s help the public by maintaining affordable prices of the basic agricultural commodities,” Dar said during a recent online interview. – Ofelia C. Empian
