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)