Undersecretary Benito Ramos of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council ordered local government units in Negros Oriental to assist families of earthquake fatalities to ensure the immediate release of financial assistance.

LGUs have been tasked to prepare documents like death certificate, marriage contract, proof that the victim died during the earthquake and that the claimant is the rightful beneficiary. The NDRRMC will give each beneficiary P10,000 in cash through the Office of the Civil Defense.

Ramos said these documents are important because these are required by the Commission on Audit before the fund is released.

He said that strict COA regulations require that  victims of landslides in Planas, Guihulngan and Solonggon, La Libertad, cannot be considered dead if the cadaver has  not yet been recovered. They can only be considered dead one year after they have been recorded as missing, Ramos added.

He said the PDRRMC should be very careful in listing the number of confirmed dead and those still missing.

As of 3 p.m. Friday, the PDRRMC said the confirmed dead included 16 from Guihulngan City, eight from Jimalalud, eight in La Libertad, three in Tayasan, and one each from Bindoy, Manjuyod and Ayungon.

There were still 40 people missing in the landslide in Solonggon, La Libertad, and 20 in Planas, Guihulngan City.*MA

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