Edmon Arellano, with his daughter Zxania Nicole, 2, says he still cannot accept that his wife, Maria Luz, was among the casualties of the bombing in Davao City on Friday night, September 2. (Zea Io Ming C. Capistrano/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY— The city government will be releasing P4.5-million cash assistance for the victims of the Roxas Avenue night market blast that left at least 14 dead and injured 70 others.
The Davao City Council suspended the rules during its regular session on Tuesday, September 6 to give way to the request of Mayor Sara Duterte on the ordinance that will provide the financial aid.
Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, the proponent of the ordinance, said that Mayor Duterte requested an ordinance authorizing her to utilize the crisis intervention program fund for financial assistance to the victims.
The assistance would be given on Tuesday. Each family of the 14 fatalities will receive P40,000, while the 70 injured will be given P30,000 each.
Aside from these, the city would extend the following assistance:
1.) expense for meals of the wake of each of the 13 victims with the averaged of 10 days. (P2,000 per day) with a total of P260,000;
2.) kanduli expense for the Muslim victim with a total of P20,000;
3.) meals for watchers of patients still confined at the hospitals at P100 per watcher per meal (three meals per day). A maximum of two watchers, pegged at 20 days a total of P648,000;
4.) memorial lot requests including excavation costs with a total of P525,000;
5.) meals during internment at P10,000 for each 13 victims with a total of P130,000; and
6.) other incidental expenses (wake extension and late discharge of patients from the hospital) with a total of P257,000.
Meanwhile, Dayanghirang said that the hospitalization bill and medicines of the casualties would not be included in the financial aid, but will be shouldered by the Lingap para sa Mahirap program of the city government.
On Monday, the Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said that the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Center will also extend financial assistance to the families of the victims.
Bello said that the two agencies would give P10,000 each to the family of the dead victims, and P5,000 each to the injured.
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Davao Manager Gloria C. Ybañez said Monday her office is now processing the documents needed for the payment of medical bills of all blast victims, including those who were already discharged from the hospital.
The regional office of the Department of Justice also started distributing applications to the victims of the blast on Tuesday.
Beverly Paloma, administration staff of the DOJ 11 office said a maximum of P10,000 financial aid may be granted to the those who were killed or injured during the bombing.
She said the financial assistance is guaranteed under the victim’s compensation program of the DOJ.
“Within six months, the victims or their family may submit the requirements and the DOJ in Manila will decide based on the recommendation of the fiscal’s office here,” Paloma told Davao Today in an interview.
Paloma said on Wednesday, September 7 they will be making rounds in the hospitals where wounded victims are still admitted. (With a report from May Love B. Deseo and Zea Io Ming C. Capistrano/davaotoday.com)
