JORDAN, Guimaras – The provincial government of Guimaras has spent P101,493,602.46 already for its various responses to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic since March.
According to Gov. Samuel Gumarin, the province allotted a total of P117,998,977.24 for pandemic-related expenses, thus it has P16,505,374.78 left to spend.
This remaining fund will be for the “new normal” expenditures, said Gumarin.
But where did the P101,493,602.46 went? Gumarin said this was spent for the following:
* accommodation of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) in hotel quarantine facilities; reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test; food for frontliners; personal protective equipment; medical supplies – P18,132,840.00
* relief goods – P69,887,058.70
* salaries, overtime pay, personnel benefits including hazard pay and special risk allowance of health and non-health personnel serving in the Primary and Advance Quarantine Facility and deployed in various screening posts – P7,103,174.73
* other necessary COVID-19- related expenses of the provincial government – P6,174,529.03
* burial/cremation expenses of Persons Under Investigation and COVID-19 patients
Gumarin denied that the province’s COVID-19 fund was misspent.
“Allegations that the fund went to the pockets of provincial officials are baseless, untrue and malicious,” he stressed.
As of Oct. 19, Guimaras recorded 161 COVID-19 cases and of these, 11 were active, 149 have recovered, and one died.
Ang 11 active cases ang naghalin sa banwa sang Jordan nga may apat, Nueva Valencia nga may tatlo, Buenavista nga may duha kag San Lorenzo and Sibunag nga may one each.
Apat sa active cases ang ginapaidalom karon sa quarantine facilities sa Guimaras, one is admitted at the hospital in Iloilo City and six are quarantined at a facility in the city./PN
