NATIONAL GOV’T HELP NOT FORTHCOMING

LINGAYEN-Sariling sikap.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. called on local officials to adopt this motto in the difficult rehabilitation task ahead of the province following the massive damage wrought by Typhoon Cosme.

In a meeting with mayors on May 25, Espino   told city and municipal leaders that help from the national government is not immediately forthcoming despite the visit of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on May 23 wherein she promised assistance in the form of P500 million worth of roofing materials to be shared by Pangasinan, Zambales and La Union.

“We will fend for ourselves and we have to rely on our own calamity fund,” Espino told the mayors.

Espino called on mayors to spearhead the rehabilitation in their respective areas, using their respective calamity funds to provide the immediate needs of their constituents.

This means that each one will dig deep in their respective reserves to will alleviate the difficult situations that their constituents are in.

Espino himself was instructed by Mrs. Arroyo to use the province’s calamity fund of P65 million first before the national government will come in.

“How I wish we could give you all the P65 million calamity fund of the province but we also have to prioritize many things,” he said.

At the top of his priority list is the reconstruction of damaged school buildings.

Records show there were 605 classrooms totally damaged and 1,726 partially damaged all over the province.

Espino said since the opening of school is already on June 10, the re-building of the partially damaged classrooms will be done first so these can be immediately used.

Espino urged the local executives to adopt the Brigada Eskwela (School Brigade) concept by  engaging various sectors in their respective communities to pool their resources and help rehabilitate their schools.

The mayors vowed to take initiatives and work together in rehabilitating their respective areas but fourth class municipalities   with only a P2 million yearly calamity fund expressed doubts that they can do much without financial assistance from the national government. 

Mayor RupertoMartinez of Infanta reported to the capitol that 95 percent of all standing houses and school buildings in his towns were damaged and rebuilding them will cost millions of pesos.

The same situation was reported in adjacent Dasol.

The governor lamented that the galvanized iron sheets pledged by Arroyo still had not arrived with less than two weeks before the opening of classes on June 10.

The Pangasinan chief executive’s request for postponement of classes in all typhoon-affected areas of Pangasinan, specifically  in Districts 1,2.3 and 4, has yet to be  acted upon by Malacañang or the Department of Education.

Some of the municipal mayors have already placed their respective towns under a state of calamity and have already released part of their calamity funds for rehabilitating damaged school buildings and are still raising donations from businessmen and affluent residents to be spent for relief goods for affected families. —LM

INFANTA MAYOR
APPEALS FOR HELP

INFANTA-With 95 percent of the households and schools almost totally damaged by Typhoon ‘Cosme’, municipal officials believe it would take a miracle to get the town back on its feet soon with a measly P2 million as calamity fund.

This prompted Mayor Ruperto Martinez to send out an SOS to the President and “anyone” to help rebuild the town.

“Madam President, please help our town,” Martinez pleaded even as Governor Amado Espino Jr. has made it clear to local leaders that no help is immediately forthcoming from the national government notwithstanding a promised assistance announced by President Gloria Arroyo when she visited the province last May 23.

“Ako ay nakikiusap, nagmamakaawa, na sana’y tulungan nyo kami na mag-restore. I am appealing for help to anyone,” the mayor added.

This fourth class coastal town with 13 barangays registered four deaths and 19 injuries in the aftermath of the typhoon. Its 24,000 population depend largely on farming and fishing for their livelihood.

Century-old acacia trees were also uprooted and the town hall has also been damaged.

“I really don’t know how (we can reconstruct). It’s as if our town suffered from a war,” Martinez said.

He added that his administration could not spend the entire P2 million calamity appropriated for the whole year considering that about 20 more typhoons are expected to hit the country within the year. 

“If you could only see our town, it’s really pathetic,” he said.#

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