SPEAKER Martin Romualdez turned his 59th birthday celebration last Monday in Makati City into a fund-raising event for the victims of typhoon “Paeng” and the Navotas City fire last Monday that left five persons dead and two others injured.
The event was able to raise an additional P70.92 million cash and pledges on top of the P49.2 million in cash contributions, pledges and in-kind donations that the House leadership was able to raise last week.
Romualdez expressed his gratitude to his guests led by his cousin President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.; First Lady Lisa Araneta-Marcos; the President’s mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos; former president and now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; presidential son and senior deputy majority leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos; and close friends, including senators for gracing the occasion.
The Speaker has been appealing to family, friends, and colleagues that instead of sending gifts, well-wishers may consider making a donation to the House’s disaster relief and rehabilitation initiative.
“I’d really like to thank all of you who contributed to help those who were badly affected. Mr. President (Marcos), I’d really like to tell you how proud I am of the members of the House of Representatives and our friends here for making possible our mission of helping those who are in need during calamities and disasters,” Romualdez told his guests.
Following the devastation caused by severe tropical storm “Paeng,” Romualdez launched a fund drive and relief operations to help the victims.
The House expressed its “sincerest and profound gratitude and appreciation” to its members, volunteers, and private entities that helped in its fund drive through House Resolution (HR) No. 531 unanimously adopted by its members.
Yesterday, the Speaker turned over to Navotas Lone District Rep. Tobias Tiangco P5 million in cash to help the victims of the fire that razed a residential area in the city.
Aside from the cash assistance, the Speaker will also send 500 packs of rice, each consisting of five kilos, for distribution to the fire victims.
In his birthday greetings for Romualdez, Marcos thanked the Speaker and his fellow lawmakers for swiftly acting on his administration’s priority measures.
“I’m confident I have full trust because I know that the Speaker is my partner. I really thank him because the jobs get done even if it’s difficult,” the President said.
Aside from his family, guests in his birthday celebration included Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri; Senators Joseph Victor Ejercito, Cynthia Villar, and Ramon Revilla, Jr.; former speakers Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez and Lord Allan Velasco; Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo; Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin; Secretaries Benjamin Diokno (Finance); Amenah Pangandaman (Budget); Bienvenido Laguesma (Labor); Office of the Press Secretary-OIC Undersecretary. Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil; former presidential spokesman Harry Roque; former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista, and former senator Gregorio Honasan, among others.
Five people, including a two-year-old boy, were killed and two others were injured in a five-hour fire that razed a cluster of houses in Navotas City last Monday.
Bureau of Fire Protection officials said the fire broke out at around 3:57 p.m. in one of the houses on Cadorniga St. in Barangay Bagumbayan. It was put out at around 9:22 p.m.
The fatalities were identified as Asuncion Tongco Gonzales, 40; Teresa Lopez, 40; Darlene Baluyot, 19; Diorella Gonzales; 18; and two-year-old Thirdy Lopez. Injured were Carlos Solidan, 51 and Josefina Sarate, 64.
Probers are still investigating what caused the fire though initial reports said it was caused by an overheated electric fan.
The fire quickly spread because most of the houses in the area were made of light materials.
Around 70 houses were gutted down, affecting at least 140 families. — With Victor Reyes
