MANKAYAN, Benguet – Some fifty eight displaced security guards of a reputable security agency that withdrew from its contact with the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMC) received relief assistance from the municipal government and the office of Benguet Caretaker Congressman and Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap for them to support their family’s food needs while they are looking for alternative sources of livelihood.
The food packs were distributed to these guards by Mayor Frenzel Ayong and representatives from the Office of Congressman Yap upon learning of the unfortunate situation where the security guards lost their jobs during the prevalence of the community quarantine.
Mayor Ayong stated that the food packs distributed to the guards will only serve as a temporary assistance to them because the municipal government and the Office of Congressman Yap understand the difficult situation they are in and they expected uphill climb for them to look for a job inside or outside the municipality.
LCMC insiders disclosed the security guards were under the Highland Warrior Security Services that decided to withdraw from its contract with Lepanto after the alleged failure of the company to pay the agency its outstanding monetary obligations for the security services that it rendered that now amounts to the millions of pesos.
Ayong claimed the municipal government decided to provide the needed relief assistance to the displaced guards because they are residents of the various barangays and that municipal officials want that they will can recover from their difficult situation following the termination of their agency’s contract with the mining company.
Since the start of the implementation of the different levels of community quarantine in the country over the past seven months, the municipal government in close coordination with the Office of Congressman Yap had been jointly working to ensure that members of the vulnerable and marginalized sectors in the municipality are given relief to help them cope with the difficulties due to their displacement from their jobs, economic activities and sources of livelihood.
He pointed out that the municipal government had to wisely use its available resources and source out some assistance from concerned government agencies, the Office of the Congressman and the private sector to be able to sustain the provision of assistance to the heavily impacted residents from the town’s 12 barangays.
He added that the municipal government will continue to distribute available food packs to identified members of the vulnerable and marginalized sectors in the municipality so these constituents can sustain their needs while they are looking for long-term sources of income and jobs.
He called on the beneficiaries of the food packs to understand the limitations of the municipal government as that what had been distributed to them is what had been made available by the meagre funds that were used to purchase the same. By HENT
