City gov’t shells out P1.5M for poorest of the poor
ROXAS CITY – The city government under the leadership of Mayor Vicente Bermejo shelled out some P1.5 million for ‘Pamaskong Handog’, a gift-giving for the poorest of the poor in the city.
City Councilor Ramon “Monchit” Albar said that the some 6,000 households in the city were given five kilos of NFA rice purchased by the city government.
According to him, the P1.5 million was used to buy some 1,250 sacks of rice and distributed to the 47 barangays in the city where barangay executives selected the beneficiaries.
Albar strongly denied that the gift-giving activity is politically motivated as “this endeavor is usually conducted since 2007”.
He added that the city spent some P1 million in 2007; P1.5 million in 2008 and P1.5 million in 2009 in which according to him, the gift-giving is conducted even without election nor calamity.
The last termer city councilor also said that the gift-giving started on January 7 in which as of Januaury 16, 38 barangays were already given.
He clarified that the distribution of rice is usually conducted during December however, it was delayed this year because of the late approval of supplemental budget.
