By CESAR JOLITO III

Negros Occidental’s P95 million financial aid from the Office of the President (OP) for Typhoon “Tino” recovery remains untouched, as key documentation requirements are still incomplete, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson confirmed this week.

The amount — P50 million for the provincial government and P45 million for six affected local government units — cannot yet be released due to pending signatures on the deed of donation, including that of former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who resigned on November 17.

Lacson said Bersamin’s departure has caused an unexpected procedural setback, as his signature is among those required for the release of the funds.

“We have not yet utilized the P50 million; we have to get the deed of donation signed,” Lacson explained.

“Executive Secretary Bersamin is not anymore in Malacañang,” he added.

The provincial government has already raised the issue with the OP and is awaiting guidance on how to proceed with replacing the former executive secretary’s signature in the documentation.

Under the allocation, La Carlota City and the towns of La Castellana and Moises Padilla are each set to receive P10 million, while the municipalities of Hinigaran, Isabela and Binalbagan will get P5 million each — funds critical for rehabilitation works in areas heavily battered by Typhoon “Tino” on November 4.

Lacson stressed that while local officials are eager to deploy the assistance, proper documentation must be completed to avoid future Commission on Audit (COA) findings.

“We have to be careful in releasing this money because later on COA could question us if we do not have the documents to support the said release,” he said.

“While we can give it right away, we will still face a problem if our documents are not complete,” he concluded./CJ, WDJ