BAYBAY CITY– The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation(Pagcor) thru the effort of Pamayanang Handa (PH) Cares distributed cash assistance to 184 families who lost their loved ones when the city was pummeled by Typhoon Agaton during a simple ceremony held Tuesday (Oct.11), this city.
PH Cares president, Peaches Pasion, in an interview disclosed that each beneficiary received P30, 000 on top of the relief goods their group distributed last April when Agaton hit the city.
Ronnel Pasana, who lost his wife, mother, and two children, said that the cash assistance he received from Pagcor will be used for the school needs of his two other children.
Only the body of his wife was recovered when their house in Barangay Cantagnos was hit by the mudslide.
Crisalyn Kate Sepe, a Grade 12 student at Baybay Senior High said that they will use the money for their studies as they lost their father from Agaton.
She said that their house is Cantagnos was also buried in mud after the mountain part of their barangay softened after continued rains. She added that they survived by slowly climbing out from the thick mud together with his mother and brother but their father did not survive.
For Edgardo Natividad, he was so thankful that kind- hearted people continued to pour them blessings as he disclosed that the P30,000 he received from Pagcor will be used to build a house.
He lost his son during the typhoon.
Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Ernesto Butawan, in an interview, expressed his gratitude to Pagcor for granting the request of PH Cares in extending assistance to his constituents.
He said that the P30, 000 cash assistance is a big help to the families and he is hoping that other government agencies will likewise look for some scheme to help the needs of the typhoon victims, though he pointed out that the response of the government to the needs of the victims was very impressive.
(ROBERT DEJON)
