Iligan City receives P241M for Sendong victims' shelters

The government on Tuesday handed to Iligan City a P241-million check for the construction of core shelters for 3,459 families displaced by tropical storm Sendong, which devastated several areas in Northern Mindanao and the Visayas days before Christmas and left over 1,000 people dead.   At a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the amount was given to Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz by Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman.   “They have already identified a 10-hectare relocation site in Iligan City. So this money will go to the construction of the core shelter—by core shelter we mean four walls, one toilet, one room,” he said.   Lacierda said the shelter is expected to be finished by the end of January next year.   Also in Iligan were Health Secretary Enrique Ona and Presidential Communications Operations head Herminio Coloma Jr.                               “Secretary Ona is there also to evaluate the distribution... to making sure that the medicines will reach the affected residents. There is no problem with distribution. We also have enough doctors. We have enough medicines for the affected residents,” he said.                                                              He said Ona is also there to monitor possible illnesses that may arise as a result of the flooding while Coloma was present to assist the government officials and monitor the situation.   Lacierda said Soliman will be visiting Cagayan de Oro later in the afternoon. — Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMA News