INFORMATION BLITZ: Paalala sa mga OFW-members ng PhilHealth: Ang PhilHealth membership and contribution ay MANDATORY ayon sa batas kaya magpamiyembro at magbayad ng kontribusyon bago umalis ng bansa. Seguraduhin ang proteksyon ng kalusugan ng iyong sarili at pamilya.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

NGAs, LGUs beef up convergence for poverty reduction

By Franklin P. Gumapon

PAGADIAN CITY - Reducing poverty by infusing livelihoods in poor communities is still in the heart of national government agencies (NGAs) and local government units (LGUs) in the region.
                                       
In a meeting held recently by Convergence Initiative Program for Poverty Reduction (CIPPR) member-agencies consisting of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Fiber Development Authority (FIDA) and Philippine Information Agency (PIA), an assessment of the programs implemented by each agency in the pilot municipalities was made to determine “the things that were already accomplished and those that need to be done.”

Ms. Elizabeth Dy of DSWD-IX reported that the cash-for-work funds were already downloaded to 13 municipalities in Zamboanga del Norte, namely, Baliguian, Godod, Gutalac, Jose Dalman, Kalawit, Katipunan, Leon Postigo, Manukan, Roxas, Sergio Osmeňa, Siayan, Sibuco and Sindangan.

Among the recipient-towns, Sibuco and Siayan got P2 million each; Sindangan received P1.5 million and the rest were each allotted P 1 million.

The cash-for-work program gives the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P) beneficiaries a chance to work for 22 days at P200 per day.

The implementation of the cash-for-work program in these 13 pilot municipalities, which are the first set of 4P recipient-municipalities in Zamboanga del Norte, was in support of the government’s National Greening Program (NGP) le by the DENR.

In Sibuco town, for instance, the DENR provided the planting materials such as the rubber tree seedlings and indigenous forest/fruit tree seedlings to be planted by 4P beneficiaries under the cash-for-work program in areas identified by the municipal government.

DA and FIDA, on the other hand, have pledged to provide financial and technical support to 4P beneficiaries who would engage in planting cash crops like abaca, rubber trees and others.

Attending the CIPPR meeting were regional directors Eduardo B. Holoyohoy of DA, Olympio Macarayan of FIDA and Noemi B. Edaga of PIA, assistant regional director Riduan Hadjimuddin of DSWD and regional technical director Ali M. Bari of DENR. (PIA9)