SURVIVOR. Erickson Nacario, one of the survivors of the deadly night market blast in Roxas Avenue in Davao City last September 2, 2016 receives on Friday (Aug. 11) livelihood assistance from the combined donations of various local and foreign groups turned over by the City Government of Davao at the Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City.(Robby Joy D. Salveron/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A total of 68 survivors and beneficiaries of the Roxas Avenue night market blast in Davao City received livelihood assistance from the donations gathered by the city government, Friday, August 11.
During the distribution of the livelihood assistance, City Mayor’s Office Chief of Staff, Lawyer Raul A. Nadela Jr., said the aid came from donations of various groups both foreign and local.
Nadela said each survivor is given P50,000 cash that amounts to P3.4 million in total.
“We received around P8.7 million in donations from various groups to the account number that we’ve put up in Facebook, the city government official facebook page. And we used it for the continuing medical assistance and livelihood assistance,” Nadela said in an interview.
On September 2 last year, an improvised explosive device exploded at the busy night market along Roxas Avenue here that resulted to the death of 15 people and 74 injured victims.
Erickson Nacario, 30, a resident from Maa, Davao City, was among the victims who were critically injured. He stayed in the hospital for about two months. Nacario said he was there at the night market for a massage.
“Naigo akoang right arm bale wala nani’y bukog. Bali nagyud ni siya. So operahanan pako. Pati akong tiil naigo ni siya gicuttingan. Nasa massage area gyud ko (My right arm was hit, it has no bone already. I still have to undergo operation. My foot was also hit, it was cut),” Nacario said.
He said he recieves assistance from the city government for his therapy and for the needed operation of his right arm.
“Nagpasalamat lang mi sa gobyerno labi na kay Mayor Inday Sara na wala mi niya pasagdi, kami tanan victims sa bombing. Labi na kang Presidente Duterte, gitabangan gyud mi nila wala mi nila pasagdi (We are thankful to the government especially to Mayor Inday Sara because they never left us, all the victims of the bombing. Especially to President Duterte, they really helped us and did not abandon us),” Nacario said.
Nacario used to be a real estate broker in the Island Garden City of Samal before the tragedy happened. He said he will use the assistance to put up a small business.
Nadela added that all the survivors and beneficiaries were trained by different government agencies such as Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to assure that the assistance given will not be wasted.
“They were trained by DOLE and other government agencies, two batches, so that the money will not be wasted and to assure that they will really use it as capital of their livelihood. What’s important is that they can move on with a sustainable livelihood,” Nadela said.
Nadela mentioned that although the money is not that big, he said they are hopeful that it will help the beneficiaries especially those who really need it to start putting up small businesses.
Nadela said there will be a quarterly monitoring done to assist the beneficiaries so that they can use the cash grant properly for them to have a sustainable livelihood.
Apart from the said assistance, Nadela said the city government also grants educational assistance to the student-victims and as well as the children of the victims.(davaotoday.com)
