Urdaneta City gets P5 million aid

THE calamity-stricken Urdaneta City has received P5 million from the National Government for the repair of damaged infrastructure and agriculture in the city.

Urdaneta City has been in the state of calamity due to typhoon Cosme, which battered a large part of Luzon last month.

Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. said that of the total amount, P3.5 million will go to the repair of school buildings in Urdaneta and P1 million will go to private individuals whose residences were damaged by the storm.

About 78 families whose houses were totally destroyed will each receive P3,000 financial assistance. The 276 families whose houses were partially damaged will receive P1,000 each.

The city will also buy vegetable and fruit-bearing tree seedlings, which will be distributed to the affected farmers.

Perez said they have yet to receive galvanized iron (GI) sheets from the Emergency Shelter Program of the National Government. But once the allocation arrives, he said, these will be distributed to the recipients validated and certified by the barangay leaders.

The dilemma now of the farmers, the mayor said, is irrigation water.

"We are trying now to properly distribute irrigation water to the farmers to address the problem," he remarked.

Perez was in the United States when typhoon Cosme lashed the province of Pangasinan.

He said he visited some states in America and parts of Canada to scout for candidates for the city's search for Miss Urdaneta City. The search for Miss Urdaneta City is one of the fiesta's yearly activities held in December.

According to him, he had so far confirmed the participation of two candidates. He will know until July 15 if the three associations he met in the US will be able to field their own candidates.

Proceeds from this year's popularity contest will be used in the procurement of heavy equipment, he said.

There is also great clamor to accommodate more students in their Livelihood and Skills Training Center, so part of the proceeds will be used in expanding the center, he added.

The mayor further said he solicited second-hand computers and books in Urdaneta associations in the US to be distributed in public schools here.

The first shipment of books is now being sorted at the city library. It will be distributed to high school or college students. (LCMY/Sunnex)

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pan/2008/06/19/news/urdaneta.city.gets.p5.million.aid.html

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