Iloilo preps local financial assistance guidelines

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

The Iloilo Provincial Government will soon release guidelines to release financial assistance for its municipalities including Passi City amid the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the province.

The ECQ was implemented by Executive Order No. 080-2020, issued by Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. on March 20 as part of the province’s response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The financial assistance is on top of the P1 million previously released to the local government units (LGU).

Defensor is set to meet with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDDRMC) on Monday, April 6, for the approval of the funds to be used.

This will then be submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo for its final approval.

Provincial Administrator Atty. Suzette Mamon said the amount for each LGU is still being determined by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).

“We’ve already downloaded P1 million, but there will be an additional amount, for which the Governor has already asked to prepare with the office of [PDRRMO chief] Dr. Jerry Bionat,” she said.

 

VEGETABLES AS RELIEF GOODS

The governor said on Saturday that an amount of P6 million has been allocated to buy vegetables as part of its relief goods.

The vegetables will be included in distributed relief goods along with rice and other essential products, as part of the province’s assistance to its residents affected by the ECQ amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said this is also to help local farmers so that their goods will not go to waste.

“I’ve said before that someone has to buy products from our small farmers. There are a lot of products which we don’t want to go to waste. So the province will buy vegetables from small farmers, which we will have the LGUs consolidate and we will buy these products. We’ve already allocated P6 million and we will distribute them together with the rice, that will happen early next week,” he said.