TACLOBAN CITY-Businessmen in Tacloban have yet to receive financial assistance promised to them by the national government, a year after supertyphoon “Yolanda” devastated this city. Joel Caminade, president of Rotary Club of Tacloban, said that until now government’s financial support to them remains to be seen. “We’ve been waiting for so long, yet no help is around. It’s both frustrating and infuriating,” Caminade said in an interview. The soft-spoken businessman who is into printing press industry did not hide his disappointment on government’s apparent lack of support to them. “I’ve lost about P 40 million from our machinery and office equipment. We’re back to scratch. But I know by and by we’ll sustain this in our own efforts,” Caminade said. He said that businessmen like them in Yolanda-hit areas should be given immediate attention to recover their business and eventually revive the local economy. “Even government banks are giving us a run-around with those who will apply for loans, demanding so many requirements when they already knew that our documents have been washed out by Yolanda. Worst, they are even asking more collateral when in fact our businessmen had collateral already in our past loans to them before Yolanda,” Caminade said. So as to recover their losses and continue their livelihood, Caminade said that Tacloban businessmen have no other option but to rely to each other or borrow money for new capital from their friends and associates outside the city. Despite their lack of support, Caminade maintained they were able to help storm victims by providing food and medical reliefs with the help of their partner organizations. Jack Uy, president of Tacloban Filipino Chamber of Commerce and Industry, openly expressed his frustration to the government for its apparent failure to “seriously” help them.
(RONALD O.REYES)
