JVM | October 23, 2022
One hundred eighty-four (184) families received financial assistance from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation thru the efforts of the Pamayanang Handa (PH) Cares during a simple ceremony around 9AM on October 11 at the Baybay City Gymnatorium.
PH Cares President Peachy Pasion, in an interview, disclosed that each family will receive P30K in financial assistance that will help them return to their normal lives. These families perished during the onslaught of Typhoon Agaton last April.
Pasion shared that his husband, PH Cares Chairman Elmer Francis Pasion, visited Baybay City last April and already distributed relief goods to the victims of the typhoon. However, his husband saw the bigger need of the victims to return to their normal lives, especially those who perished from the landslides that happened in some barangays in Baybay City.
Such prompted Chairman Pasion to seek the help of PAGCOR to provide assistance to families. The Pasion couple was elated when PAGCOR adhered to their request thus the financial assistance was made possible.
The distribution covered three (3) consecutive days. On the 11th, 87 families received their financial aid, 55 are scheduled on October 12 while 42 families are scheduled on October 13.
Pasion believed that the amount would be very vital for these beneficiaries as they continue to recover from the damage and trauma of Agaton. She pledged that PH Cares will continue to oversee their recovery and will work to help them.
Ronnel Pasana, a survivor who lost his wife, mother, and two children, intends to use the financial aid to finance the education of his two remaining children. His house was buried in mud when a landslide struck Brgy. Kantagnos. He shared how he recovered his wife’s body but failed to locate his mother and 2 children.
Grade 12 student Crisalyn Kate Sepe lost his father during Agaton. Their house in Kantagnos was also buried in mud. She shared how she and her mother and brother survived by slowly climbing out from the thick mud. Unfortunately, his father didn’t survive.
Edgardo Natividad extended his gratitude to PAGCOR and PH Cares and all those who helped. He planned to use the cash to construct shelter as they are still living in the evacuation center. Natividad lost his son Ernie, a barangay tanod, under the mud but he managed to retrieve his son’s corpse.
65-year-old Primitiva Betalla shared how the landslide brought by Agaton in Brgy. Mailhi killed her son and his son’s wife. She shared that they were in the upper portion of their house while his son and his wife were in the lower portion when the landslide covered them. They managed to survive but his son and his partner were buried deep which caused their deaths. Their bodies were recovered a day after by rescue groups.
Baybay City Vice Mayor Ernesto Butawan extends his gratitude to PAGCOR for heeding the request of PH Cares in extending help to his constituents. He shared that the P30K cash is already a big help to the families. While the government’s response to the needs of the victims was very impressive, he hoped that other government agencies will explore schemes that will expedite the survivors’ recovery. For Baybay City, they really are pushing to complete their housing projects for the victims, Butawan disclosed. JVM
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