By PR/PIMO |12:23 AM August 12, 2024
The provincial government of Bohol swiftly assisted the 15 families displaced by the recent fire incident on Nocnocan Island in Talibon on August 8, which charred 14 houses.
Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado led the distribution of combined financial and in-kind assistance through the Office of the Provincial Social Welfare Development (OPSWD) on August 10, Saturday.
This is aligned with the provincial government’s commitment to delivering quick, inclusive, accessible assistance to building resilient and smart communities, as underscored in the Strategic Change Agenda of the Aumentado administration.
Through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, the OPSWD distributed P10,000 each to the nine families with totally damaged houses, while those six families with partially damaged properties received P 5,000 each.
2nd dist. Rep. Maria Vanessa Aumentado provided P 10,000 each to the 15 affected families, with groceries worth P 2,500 and 10 pieces of galvanized iron sheets per family from personal funds of the governor and the second district representative.
Board Member Jiselle Rae Aumentado-Villamor personally funded and distributed 40 sets of school supplies for elementary, secondary, and college students.
Talibon Mayor Janette Aurestila-Garcia, in an interview, shared that the municipal government and OPSWD distributed relief goods and food packs on Friday, August 9, along with non-food items, school supplies, and clothing sorted by the MSWDO.
“Inig ka Monday (August 12) mubalik sila (MSWDO) kay maghatag og cash assistance, for the purpose na nga makapalit silag materials ginagmay paras ilang balay,” she added.
Garcia also revealed that one of its councilors kindly donated P2,000 from personal funds to each family victim, with first aid, vitamins, and medicines.
Jasmine Dungog, punong barangay of Nocnocan, expressed gratitude for the quick assistance, particularly that despite their remote and isolated location, they remain close to the heart of the provincial government under Aumentado’s leadership.
According to reports, the fire originated on Wednesday shortly after 11 a.m in Sitio San Roque, when a youngster from one of the affected families accidentally played a matchstick and ignited a candle, leading to the unfortunate event.
Talibon’s Bureau of Fire Protection declared the fire out by 1 pm. , reporting total property damage estimated at P430,000, with some residents still recovering from the ruin caused by Typhoon Odette in 2021.
Aumentado expressed his concern over the fire’s impact on the displaced families and assured residents of the provincial government’s commitment to supporting their recovery.
He emphasized that the government will continue to aid their rebuilding efforts, including his administration’s commitment to continue the water desalination project of the Philippine Rural Development Project for all barangay islands in Bohol, the Philippines’ first and only UNESCO Global Geopark Regenerative Island Province.
The island barangay of Nocnocan in Talibon, under Bohol’s second district in the northern part of the province, has a population of 2,140 residents which consists of 521 families. (PiMO/ALT/JSS)
