WESCOM pushes for a more responsive peace & dev't plan

ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Dec 18 (PIA) – The Western Command (WESCOM), in its effort to come up with a more synergized action plan in delivering government services to the people through cooperation with the stakeholders, held an orientation-workshop on government programs recently with representatives from different agencies.

The 6^th Civil Relation Group of the AFP reported that with the presence and input of participating agencies in the workshop held last December 13-14, the military was provided with a better understanding of government programs designed to improve the welfare of every Palaweño.

Among the government programs discussed in the two-day workshop were the cash grant scheme of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and agriculture-related programs of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), Provincial Health Office (PHO), Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST); the former was designed to alleviate poverty whereas the latter aims to provide livelihood opportunities and increase productivity in agriculture.

Equipped with a deeper knowledge of these programs, WESCOM personnel involved in Civil Military Operations (CMO), in collaboration and partnership with concerned agencies, can better formulate a concerted, efficient action plan in bringing the services provided by these programs to the people that is more in line with the principles of the military’s Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan.

Cruz Ablaña, team leader of DSWD-Region IV-B, MIMAROPA Office, explained the processes and mechanisms put in place to ensure the proper implementation of the department’s cash grant program called “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” (4Ps).

The program is a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition and education.

Evelyn Falcon and her team from DA, Provincial Agricultural Expansion Station shared information on extension programs to enhance the coconut, mango, rice and vegetable production of the farmers supplemented by fisheries programs.

The knowledge provided by the DA was complimented by a workshop on appropriate technology that can be taught to the farmers to improve agricultural production and processing of forest products conducted by Engr. Pacifico Sariego from DOST.

Fedeleo de Guzman from the Provincial Agrarian Reform Office discussed the rights as well as the responsibilities of the beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and the means available to settle land issues and problems at the barangay level; while Alejandro Marcaida talked about the finer points of the Ancestral Domain claims of various groups of Indigenous People (IP).

The Provincial Health Office, represented by Dr. Louie Ocampo, explained the medical, environmental and sanitation services that the health office provides, giving particular emphasis on the health services for women and IPs.

Armed with a better understanding of these programs, WESCOM hopes to conduct community outreach projects that are more responsive to the needs of the people in Palawan, in partnership with all the stakeholders. (6CRGAFP/RVC-PIA9 ZBST)