BACOLOD CITY — The release of PHP 10 million in financial assistance from Malacañang to typhoon-hit communities in La Castellana and Moises Padilla remains stalled due to missing signatures and incomplete national-level documentation, local officials confirmed.
La Castellana Mayor Añejo Nicor said the funds cannot be accessed until the Office of the President completes and returns the required paperwork.
He clarified that the documents were originally transmitted not to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, but to Undersecretary Adrian Carlos Bersamin of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office.
With Bersamin no longer in office, the municipality has been instructed to resubmit all documents for confirmation.
“After the council approves the resolution, we must forward it to the Office of the President showing the exact allocation of the PHP 10 million,” Nicor explained.
“But since the official named in the papers has left office, the documents must be corrected and reconfirmed.”
The delay affects ongoing recovery efforts, especially as thousands remain in need of assistance.
Nicor noted that the PHP 4 million assistance earlier distributed during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit was insufficient given the 17,000 totally and partially damaged houses recorded in the municipality.
Official figures list 1,584 totally damaged and 15,823 partially damaged homes.
Although the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was able to distribute part of the remaining PHP 1.6 million, Nicor said many families were left out due to limited funds.
A second round of aid is expected, but details have yet to be confirmed.
In neighboring Moises Padilla, Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo said the release of their own PHP 10 million allocation is likewise on hold because the Deed of Donation has not been fully signed by the Office of the President.
“We have already signed our part—the treasurer and I—but we are still waiting for Manila to return the document with complete signatures,” she said.
“This must be completed before the money can be released.”
Despite the delay, Garcia-Yulo said the fund—once available—will be used carefully to maximize its impact.
The municipality recorded around 1,000 totally damaged and nearly 4,000 partially damaged houses due to Typhoon Tino.
With the DSWD also delaying further payouts due to lack of funds, the Moises Padilla LGU continues to provide aid using its Quick Response Fund, including the purchase of rice for evacuees.
Garcia-Yulo added that preparations are underway for a relocation site on land donated by the estate of Cecilia Garcia Golez, prioritizing families in no-build zones.
Earlier, Governor Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson called for public understanding amid delays in the release of PHP 50 million in cash assistance from Malacañang, citing incomplete documentation as the cause of the hold-up.
The funds are part of a PHP 95 million aid package allocated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to support the recovery of areas in Negros Occidental severely affected by Typhoon Tino.
Under the distribution plan, PHP 50 million was allotted to the provincial government, while La Carlota City and the municipalities of La Castellana and Moises Padilla were each designated PHP 10 million.
Binalbagan, Isabela, and Hinigaran were allocated PHP 5 million each.
Lacson said the provincial government has not been able to access or distribute the funds because the Deed of Donation — a required legal document for the aid’s disbursement — remains unsigned by all relevant parties. (Dolly Yasa via tdg)