Pantawid Pamilya assistance in Bicol reaches P1.3 billion
by Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, May 5 (PIA) --- Poor family-beneficiaries in the six provinces of Bicol region of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the government have already received a total of P1.3 billion for social and development assistance programs, according to the top regional official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here.

DSWD Bicol regional director Remia Tapispisan said the program has benefitted some 244,000 households from 93 cities and municipalities combined in the entire region as of March 25, this year.

Tapispisan explained that each beneficiary is entitled to receive cash assistance for a maximum of P1,400 per month for the period of five years.

“In 4Ps, a household with three qualified children receives a subsidy of P1,400 per month during the school year or P15,000 annually as long as they comply with the conditionality set by the program.

Also according to Tapispisan, at least 21 municipalities remained as non-4Ps beneficiaries as of March 25, “while applications of these towns are now in the process.”

Record showed that Albay has a total of 12,025 household beneficiaries; Camarines Sur with 85,175; Camarines Norte, 25,218; Catanduanes, 4,931; Sorsogon, 49,897; and Masbate, 79,225.

Beneficiaries of 4Ps were identified through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) system. The NHTS-PR identifies who and where the poor are through interviews by trained enumerators using a two-page Household Assessment Form (HAF) containing various indicators.

Tapispisan explained that poorest households in the municipalities are selected through this proxy-means test, determining the socio-economic category of the families by looking at certain proxy variables such as ownership of assets or appliances; type of housing; educational attainment of household head; livelihood of the family and access to water and sanitation facilities.

4Ps helps pursues the country’s commitment to meet the requirements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), namely to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, reduce gender equality , reduce child mortality and improve maternal health. (MAL, PIA V)

DENR scores in green governance

LEGAZPI CITY, May 5 (PIA) --- Barely a year into the P-Noy Administration, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has seized progress on environmental stewardship, initiating key reforms in all fronts, particularly forestry and land management.

In a reversal from previous years, the DENR placed 4th in the list of “least corrupt” national agencies in a recent survey conducted by Pulse Asia held in February and March this year, the only regulatory body to be included in the ranking with service-oriented agencies led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Education (DepEd).

Paje underlined some key reform initiatives of the Aquino Administration in stopping the destruction and abuse of the environment to include Executive Order No. 23, which banned logging in the remaining natural forests in the country. This was complemented by the creation of the National Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force in the same EO, which as of press time, has netted 7.283 million board feet of logs and lumber valued at PhP200 million, and the closure of 56 wood processing plants in the CARAGA region and the provinces of Davao and Quezon identified to have been processing undocumented forest products.

In the disposal of confiscated forest products, the DENR has given priority to the DepEd in keeping with President Aquino’s directive to help address the perennial problem of inadequacy in armchairs, desks and tables in public schools.

“A Memorandum of Agreement was already signed among DENR, DepEd, PAGCOR and TESDA on the manufacture of school facilities using the (donated) logs/lumber,” Paje said.

Paje also reported that the number of DENR checkpoints has been rationalized from 274 to 117, or 57% reduction, also in a move to get rid of any opportunity for graft and corruption in the timber industry.

On reforestation, the first six months of the P-Noy Administration saw the reforestation of some 29,552 hectares with 32.3 million trees, benefitting some 17,758 families with livelihood opportunities.

Describing it yet as “the biggest reforestation program in the history of the Philippines,” Paje said EO No. 26, which established the National Greening Program, aims to plant and grow 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares in the next six years. For this year, the DENR, which is mandated by President Aquino to lead in the implementation of the NGP, sets out to grow 50 million trees in 100,000 hectares.

“Reforms in the land administration are now among the priority legislative agenda of the President,” Paje added, saying the passage of the Land Administration Reform Bill will unify all land agencies, and the National Land Use Bill which will rationalize the country’s land management.

Paje underscored the importance of pushing such legislative agenda of the government, saying it will eradicate the problem of “multiplicity of government agencies” involved in land administration with overlapping functions and powers. “Let alone the judicial processes in land titling, no less than five agencies in the executive branch also play out key roles in the country’s land management, resulting in multiplicity in terms of standards for survey and mapping, land valuation, and taxes on land transactions. All these multiplicities breed opportunities for graft and corruption.’’

Agencies involved in land administration include the Department of Justice’s Land Registration Authority and Register of Deeds; DENR’s Land Management Bureau and Land Management Services in regional offices; the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority; and the CARP Secretariat and its field offices. (MAL/DENR V)