Mayors of Yolanda-hit areas in Negros Occidental hoping to get more aid for their constituents  are joining a policy conference on Yolanda rehabilitation at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila today.

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. has also been invited to the conference, organized by the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery.

Negros Occidental has been allocated P3.9 billion under the Comprehensive Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan for Yolanda-affected areas, Karen Jimeno, communications director of the Office of the Presidential Assistant on Rehabilitation and Recovery, said Friday.

The bulk of the amount will go to housing assistance, while the rest will be allocated to infrastructure, livelihood and social services, the governor said.

Cadiz Mayor Patrick Escalante, Sagay Mayor Alfredo Marañon III and Manapla Mayor Lourdes Escalante, whose areas were among the worst hit by Yolanda, yesterday said they are attending the OPARR policy conference today.

The Sagay mayor said livelihood, infrastructure, and social services have been identified as areas to be tackled.

“If we can get more livelihood for our fishermen, more classrooms, training on disaster preparedness the better,” he said.

                                        IN MANAPLA

To mark the first anniversary of Yolanda that hit Nov. 8, 2013, Gawad Kalinga, headed by Bobby Magalona, turned over eight houses to Yolanda victims donated by SMEC Foundation in Manapla town Saturday, the Manapla mayor said yesterday.

At present, the Gawad Kalinga village in Manapla has 48 houses - 10 built by the local government, 30 donated by Seafood City of California, plus the eight awarded Saturday, she said. Eight more houses are set to be built, she added.

                                   IN CADIZ CITY

About 10,000 houses, funded by private sector donations and government, are expected to be built in Cadiz City before the end of 2016 for victims of Yolanda and residents living in danger areas.

He said the Cadiz City government, in partnership with Kalipay Foundation, Gawad Kaliga, and Tierfund, have set up a relocation site in Barangay Cadiz Viejo for residents of Lakawon Island.

So far, 50 of 370 targeted houses have been built of the 3.5-hectare relocation site, the Cadiz mayor said.

The city government purchased the relocation site and the NGO partners are building the houses and providing the livelihood component, he said.

                                                 MASS

At the San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod City at 12:15 p.m. Saturday, cathedral rector, Fr. Felix Pasquin held a mass to mark the first anniversary of Yolanda.

Pasquin, citing the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, said those who have helped the typhoon victims have made sacrifices pleasing to the Lord.

And the resiliency of the survivors lies in their faith in God, he added.*CPG

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