President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instructed last night the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to provide clean and potable water to calamity areas severely hit by tropical storm Ondoy.

The President issued the instruction at the 36th LWUA anniversary celebration at it’s headquarters on Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City.

According to the President, a large number of typhoon victims were still without basic necessities such as food, water and shelter. In response, LWUA chair Prospero Pichay, Jr. said the agency had already distributed 3,000 food bags to the victims of Ondoy as part of its relief efforts that started last Monday.
He added that immediately after the celebration, LWUA officials would donate another 5,000 food bags with 1,000 going to the victims in Montalban, Rizal and the rest (4,000) to Malacañang which had been turned into an evacuation and relief center for typhoon victims.

Pichay pointed out that aside from the food bags, which contained rice, sugar, water as well as noodles and canned goods, the agency would also donate P1.5-million to the government’s relief efforts. According to him, the P1-million would come from the LWUA while the P500,000 would come from the Davao Water District, which he described as the richest water district in the Philippines.

YEAR END BONUS RELEASED EARLY FOR GOV”T EMPLOYEE”S AFFECTED BY ONDOY

Meanwhile, Government workers affected by tropical storm Ondoy can avail themselves of the last half of their 13th month pay starting today. The first half of the year-end bonus was released in May. Budget and Management Secretary Rolando Andaya, Jr. said in a press briefing that employees will only need to inform their respective offices to get their check in advance.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Vice President Noli De Castro recommended the early release of the 13th month pay for government workers during the last Cabinet meeting at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. De Castro urged private firms to likewise advance the year-end bonus of their employees.

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) will also grant an emergency loan of P20,000 for each qualified member. Likewise, the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) has put up windows in all its branches to process calamity loans for members in calamity-hit areas.

Pag-IBIG said loan processing will take one to three days, which will then be credited to their Land Bank accounts. Pag-IBIG will not ask their members for other requirements except the loan application.

As this develops sympathy and support continues to flow into the country. Envoys from Egypt, Norway, Belgium and Greece sympathized with the people of the Philippines for the tragedy that befell them as a result of tropical storm Ondoy.

ENVOYS EXPRESS SYMPATHY AND OFFER SUPPORT TOWARDS RELIEF PROGRAMS:

All four ambassadors extended their respective countries’ sympathies when they presented their credentials to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at Bahay Pangarap in the Presidential Security Group Compound in Malacañan Palace. They arrived a few days before to assume office as their countries’ representatives.

Ambassador Ahmed Mahmoud Maher Abbas extended Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak’s condolences “for the loss of lives in the tragic event.” In return, President Arroyo asked Abbas to send her thanks to President Mubarak for the warm accommodation accorded her in her previous visits to Egypt. Ambassador Knut Solem, for his part, told President Arroyo that Norway, in close coordination with the United Nations, has already contributed to the relief and rehabilitation of the typhoon victims.  Belgian Ambassador Christian Meerschman and Greek envoy Polyxeni Stefanidou likewise voiced their condolences to those who suffered in the typhoon. “I am also expressing my own condolences to the country. I feel sad about what happened here. I am confident that the Filipino people, who are so industrious will rise from this again,” Stefanidou said.

President Arroyo told the envoys that she is looking forward to stronger relations with their respective countries.

METROBANK FOUNDATION DONATES 5 Million towards relief efforts

On the heels of this the Palace also announced that President Arroyo today received a P5-million donation from the Metrobank Group for Oplan Sagip Bayan,  a Malacanang-based relief effort for the victims of tropical storm Ondoy.

Today’s donation is on top of the P10-million donation the Metrobank Group distributed last Monday to the local governments of Cainta, Taytay, Rodriguez, Tanay, San Mateo, and Teresa in the province of Rizal; Marikina, Quezon City, Pasig, Muntinlupa, Pateros, Mandaluyong, Caloocan, Taguig, Las Pinas, Manila, Pasay, Malabon, Makati and the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga.

Metrobank Foundation, Inc. president Aniceto Sobrepeña said Monday’s donations were in cash to give LGUs the flexibility on how best to use the funds for their affected constituents. In a turnover ceremony outside the Kalayaan Hall in Malacañang, the President thanked the Metrobank Group for its support to government’s effort to help the victims of typhoon Ondoy. The President said the private sector has been a generous partner of Oplan Sagip Bayan.

After the ceremony, the Chief Executive walked over to the volunteers and thanked them for helping out in the repacking and distribution of goods needed by the victims.  Launched by President Arroyo this week, Oplan Sagip Bayan also provides temporary shelter for hundreds of individuals displaced by the typhoon. It is being managed by the Presidential Management Staff and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Popularity: 17% [?]