PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday pledged a US$I-Million assistance for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami disasters in March 2011 in Ishinomaki, Japan and the city’s reconstruction program. The Chief executive made the pledge during the turn-over ceremonies of the donation to Ishimiyaki City Mayor Hiroshi Kameyama at the Ishinimaki City Hall here.
Ishinomaki City was among the most seriously affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. A tsunami about 10 meters high traveled 600 meters inland and destroyed around 80 percent of the 700 houses in the coastal whaling port of Ayukawa and the district of Kadonawaki. According to a fact sheet, approximately 46 percent of the city was inundated by the tsunami. One, elementary school, Okawa Elementary, was completely destroyed killing 74 of the 108 students and 10 of 13 teachers and staff. The fact sheet also said that as of June 17, 2011, a total of 3,097 deaths have been confirmed in Ishinomaki City due to the tsunami, with some 2,770 unaccounted for. It added that approximately 29.000 city residents lost their homes.
President Aquino personally handed over the pledge of assistance to Mayor Kameyama in the presence of other officials of the city, namely, vice mayor Etsuro Kitamura, Ishinomaki City Council chairperson Hiroshima Abe, and Parliamentary senior vice minister for Foreign Affairs Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, and the Philippine delegation led by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Sonny Coloma, and Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras among others.
The President pointed out that the actual cash will be given by the Philippine Embassy in Japan through Ambassador Manolo Lopez.
As he turned over the letter containing the pledge of assistance to the Ishinomaki official, the President reiterated his sympathy for the losses. (PCOO)