PAGADIAN CITY, Oct. 11 (PIA) –- Filled with excitement and joy , the 713 ‘cash for work’ small scale farmers and fisherfolks from barangays Balintawak, Buenvista, Kawit, Lumad, Napolan and San Pedro flocked at the covered court on Monday to receive their cash assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Mayor Samuel S. Co said the distribution of P1,803,890 worth of cash assistance to the said beneficiaries was part of the cash for work (CFW) program of DSWD and the second batch of release whose initial amount of P9,196,550 was released to the 3,635 beneficiaries in the 47 barangays on September 25.
Co said P11 million was given by the President Benigno Simeon Aquino III thru DSWD 9 to the beneficiaries for rendering community work in 11 days in their respective barangays where each beneficiary received of P2,530 as payment of their work.
The CFW beneficiaries rendered work in their respective barangays on August 1-12.
Co said the project though is short has offered help to the poor small scale farmers and fisherfolks by providing them temporary employment and income augmentation and trained them to become productive by doing community work.
The chief executive suggested to the DSWD that in the next implementation of said project, the agency should not pressure the local government unit by giving them deadline to finish the project saying that Pagadian LGU has experienced difficulty in the implementation of the project .
“We have experienced difficulty in implementing the project because we were given deadline to complete the project,” Co commented. “I suggest that next time we will be given 2-3 months to prepare because almost all employees of DSWD, City Agriculture’s Office and City Eingineer’s Office have to go out to train and monitor these beneficiaries. We have to totally shut down the operation of the office to ensure the effective implementation of the project,” Co remarked.
Meanwhile, City Social Welfare and Development Oficer Abdulgani J. Pagayao thanked Mayor Co for helping the agency in implementing the poject in the city.
“Akong gipasalamatan si Mayor Co nga mitabang pagpatuman ning maong programa. Bisan sa kalisod sa panahon, iyang gipaninguha nga madawat gyud ninyo ang inyong cash assistance karon adlawa (I thanked Mayor Co for helping in the implementation of the program. Even in this hard times, he facilitated the for the realease of your cash assistance today),” Pagayao said.
Abedel Ismael, 49 of Kawit who waited at the venue at 12:00 noon, one (1) hour ahead of the scheduled program was very excited to receive the cash assistance saying that the cash he received will be used to buy foods for his wife and 5 children.
Ismael thanked the government for choosing him as one of the benefeciairies. He hoped that the project will be sustained by the government to help the poor sectors of society.