President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) visited the ROC Military Academy in Kaohsiung yesterday for a meal with victims of the flooding caused by Typhoon Morakot in August.
Ma was accompanied by Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Lai Feng-wei (賴峰偉) and Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu (高華柱), as well as officials representing the local areas hit by the flooding.
Asked by reporters to comment on the food, Ma said: “It tastes better than what I [normally] eat.”
PHOTO: CNA
He also gave several cases of dried dates as gifts to the victims.
After the meal, Ma sat down for talks with representatives from Taoyuan (桃源) and Liouguei (六龜) townships in Kaohsiung County. The representatives complained that the criteria for applications for relief, such as permanent housing and subsidies for agricultural losses were too strict.
Some also complained that there has been almost nothing in the way of reconstruction since the flooding, while others hoped to be allowed to stay at the temporary refugee centers for a longer period of time.
Most refugees have returned to their homes while about 500 people remain at the centers.
Ma said the government would not use a very strict system to evaluate applications for permanent housing, but that certain principles would still apply to ensure fairness.
He also said that if evacuations were necessary because of storms in future, he hoped the residents would cooperate with evacuation efforts.
Separately, a Taoist service for Morakot victims was held at a Taoist temple in Datien Village (大田), Jiasian Township (甲仙), Kaohsiung County, yesterday. Taoists and Taoist clergy from around the country as well as Hong Kong attended the ceremony, which was presided over by Taoist master Huang Shih (黃史).
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), former Examination Yuan president Chiu Chuang-huan (邱創煥) and presidential adviser Lin Yun-yuan (林淵源) were among the attendees who burned incense and prayed for the victims.
After the ceremony, Tsai told reporters that the post-Morakot reconstruction efforts were too slow and that the government should pool its resources and accelerate programs to rebuild infrastructure in affected areas.
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