Members of the Rotary Club of Bacolod Central delivered more than P1 million worth of construction materials and relief goods to evacuees of Mt. Kanlaon eruption in La Castellana, Negros Occidental over the weekend.
In a press release, the club said that Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan, in the presence of Fifth District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo, received the 2,100 corrugated and plain galvanized iron sheets along with other relief goods intended for the evacuees.
The aid was primarily funded by the Rotary International through a disaster grant to District 3850 amounting to $25,000 for the recovery phase of the first eruption as hundreds of homes had damaged roofing due to the ashfall.
The Rotarians also distributed 200 hygiene kits, 2,400 pieces of bottled water, 1,000 boxes of face masks, 200 sacks of 5-kilo bag rice, hot meals, canned goods, and coffee for the evacuees in the La Castellana National Junior High School.
They also endorsed eight sacks of diapers to the congressional office of Yulo for distribution to various evacuation centers.
Immediate past district governor Ma. Ester Espina said the grant money was sourced through a disaster fund made available by Rotary International and will also include post-disaster medical and surgical missions when the danger warning is lifted.
Rotary Club of Bacolod Central president Rolem Basiya said this is the second time the club assisted evacuees since the first eruption in June this year.
“We were truly amazed at the resilience of the evacuees, particularly the children, who even helped unload a truck-full of relief goods,” he added.
Basiya thanked the Rotarians and other donors who helped the club deliver on its promise to aid the evacuees.
San Miguel Foundation and San Miguel Brewery Bacolod sent 30 boxes of coffee as well as P27,000 cash donated by the employees to augment the relief mission.
Basiya also thanked the Philippine Airlines for sponsoring the freight of the much-needed face masks, and Triumph Hardware for the free delivery assistance of the construction materials. ||
