After attending the 69th Araw ng Ipil at the Ipil Municipal Plaza in Zamboanga Sibugay Province, President Rodrigo Duterte, together with Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go, proceeded to Barangay Labuan to provide cash assistance to around 400 families who were left homeless after the fire. Pres. Duterte pledged to provide housing for the affected families.
The initial cash assistance to be distributed was P5,000 from Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), P1,500 each from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). However, the Chief Executive asked SAP Go to release an additional P7,000 per family.
Aside from getting help from the government, the victims of the Zamboanga fire were also beneficiaries of private sector assistance, courtesy of the Friends of Bong Go (FOBG), a group that supports the advocacy of SAP Bong Go of providing aid to those in need, particularly the less fortunate and victims of calamities.
Led by Mariam Celia Hahalul-Hataman, the group donated forty pairs of brand new shoes, school supplies, and provided aid and comfort to the victims of the fire.
According to Ms. Hataman, funds used for the purchase of the donated items where sourced from private individuals who shared their common cause. She also appealed to her friends, relatives and community leaders to distribute shoes to the affected families, to show their support for President Duterte and SAP Go.
