By Leonilo D. Lopido
NAVAL, Biliran, jan. 31 (PIA) – The people of Biliran on Thursday expressed gratefulness in loud cheers at the gym-packed Civic Center in this municipality as President Rodrigo Roa Duterte fulfilled his promise in just a week time to extend assistance to the Biliranons heavily affected by typhoon Ursula’s devastation in December 2019 placing the entire province under a state of calamity.
On behalf of the President, no less than Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go led the distribution of financial assistance for the provincial government of Biliran which was received by Governor Rogelio Espina and to all the eight municipalities through their respective town mayors.
“Sa ating mahal na senador na talagang sa maikling panahon na tayo po ay nagkaroon ng isang malagim na bagyo o kalamidad sa ating probinsya, agad-agad napansin ang ating munting probinsya sa Biliran upang magpakita ng malasakit,” Governor Espina said in his message.
Espina thanked the President saying, “Maraming, maraming salamat po lalong-lalo na sa ating mahal na Pangulo Rodrigo Duterte. Sa ipinakita ninyong pagmamahal sa amin, hinding-hindi po naming makakalimutan magpakailanman.”
In an earlier media interaction before the arrival of Sen. Go, Espina said typhoon Ursula’s devastation brought over P500 million total damage for the entire province of Biliran both on infrastructure and agriculture.
“Sa laki ng damage ng typhoon Ursula in the province of Biliran, and practically all the municipalities were affected, with partially damaged houses of 22,643 and totally damaged houses of about 2,432,” he said.
The good governor said he had a conversation also with Regional Director of the National Housing Authority Gavino Figuracion for the release of Emergency Shelter Assistance ranging from P5,000 to P20,000 depending on the extent of damage (partially damaged houses) while for totally damaged houses, a cash assistance of P30,000 will be provided.
Though the province of Biliran posted the lowest poverty incidence among provinces in eastern Visayas in the latest survey, Gov. Espina was amenable that the Internal Revenue Allotment of the eight municipalities are not that much adding that the province has no city yet.
“Maliliit din ‘yung pondo ng mga munisipyo natin for calamity assistance and even the province, P9 million lang po ang pondo ng probinsya for the entire province kaya talagang maswerte na lang kung may maibigay kaming malaking pera para makapagpatayo ulit ng bahay yung tao,” he said.
Espina added that they really need help especially from the national government disclosing that the recent typhoon greatly affected the livelihood of the Biliranons.
“Thousands of fishing vessels ng ordinaryong mangingisda ay talagang nasira (totally), wala pa po dun ‘yung mga nagtumbahan na mga tanim sa agrikultura,” he said adding that the timely visit of Sen. Go was a big help.
Bridges in Biliran province to include the Caray-Caray Bridge have already started rehabilitation as well as the irrigation projects with the support of the concerned government agencies.
On January 23, Mayor Espina of the Municipality of Kawayan had a meet and greet with PRRD and Sen. Bong Go at the Tacloban Airport after the Presidential Visit in San Isidro, Leyte and had a chance to present the Ursula damage assessment report of Kawayan and asked for assistance not only for the town of Kawayan but for all the municipalities and the provincial government of Biliran for which the President responded positively. (LDL/PIA-8)