DSWD bares anti-poverty gains in Bicol under P-Noy administration

LEGAZPI CITY, November 10 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has strengthened its implementation of various poverty alleviation programs in Bicol under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III that have been showing success in breaking the lingering string of dearth pinning the poor to the vicious cycle dependency.

The approach of working hand in hand with various government agencies, foreign donors, local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders in the implementation of these programs has been proving effective given the fact that it has involved almost everybody in identifying the root cause of the problem and delivering the solutions.

“Through the processes undertaken by the project, community members became more active in terms of participation. They realize the importance of their contribution to community development and nation building as ordinary members of the community,” Remia Tapispisan, DSWD regional director for Bicol said here on Tuesday.

For one, Tapispisan cited the remarkable achievements of the government’s anti-poverty campaign under the Poder Y Prosperidad dela Comunidad or PODER program which is being implemented through a grant from the Spanish government’s Agencia Española Cooperacion International para El Desarolio (AECID).

PODER has already completed five phases of its project implementation in Bicol where among the beneficiaries are the municipalities of Minalabac and Presentacion in Camarines Sur and Paracale and Sta. Elena in Camarines Norte.

In Minalabac, Tapispisan said 25 barangays with a total of 8,517 households are now benefiting from the school buildings, day care centers, health stations and water systems constructed through PODER funds and a counterpart from the municipal government. Roads were also improved to facilitate easy transport of the farmer’s agricultural produce to the market.

In Presentacion, PODER focused its project implementation in 12 prioritized barangays with about 3,820 households now being benefited by similar facilities given to Minalabac barangays. Flood control systems, sea wall and barangay roads were also constructed in this municipality.

In Paracale, she said 11 minor infrastructures such as school buildings, water systems, day care centers, health centers and barangays roads needed by nearly 3,000 impoverished households have put in place. All these projects cost a total of P15.5 million, P4.7 million of it provided as counterpart by the LGU.

Another program is the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) presently being implemented in Bicol’s six provinces initially covering 65 of the region’s 107 municipalities and seven cities with 140,523 beneficiary families.

Each of these beneficiaries with three qualified children receives a subsidy of P1,400 a month during the school year to be used for educational expenses. A maximum of three children per household is allowed and an additional P500 a month per household is given for health and nutrition expenses.

“So far we can say that the implementation of the CCT in Bicol has provided hope to these marginalized sector of society which under the P-Noy’s administration is a priority so that poverty in the countryside is remedied", Tapispisan said.

Then next year comes the implementation of Makamasang Tugon (MT), a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) -funded poverty alleviation program of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III that will benefit 18 impoverished municipalities in the region.

With the US$ 120 million funds in grant from the MCC, a US-based funding institution, the MT will be able to serve municipalities previously covered by the Kapit Bisig Laban Sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDDS), a community driven development initiative implemented by the government through a World Bank (WB) loan from 2003 to 2010.

Of this fund, the Bicol was allotted a total of P434 million which would further allow selected local communities to be trained to choose, design and implement sub-projects that address their most pressing need like small-scale infrastructures like farm to market roads, water systems, school buildings, day-care centers, drainage systems, multipurpose hall and seawalls, among others, Tapispisan said.

Once fully realized, she said these projects under the MT, being the national government's framework program for a focused, accelerated, convergent and expanded strategy to reduce poverty by providing interventions on asset reforms, human development services, capacity building and participation in governance, would promote sustainable growth across the region. (MAL/DOCalleja)


Council for the protection of children bares accomplishments

by Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, November 10 (PIA) -- Children’s Month celebration has been a rousing success boosting campaigns and advocacies for the protection of the rights and ensuring the welfare of the children in the province of Sorsogon.

Myra Relativo, assistant provincial head of the Sorsogon Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) and coordinator of the Council for the Protection of Children (PCPC), said the observance was highlighted by hundreds of children and stakeholders from different localities in the province convening in a Children Congress showcasing poster making contest focusing on the theme "Local Council for the Protection of Children para sa Bright Child : Pakilusin, Palakasin, Pagtulungan Natin".

A program highlighting the different skills and talents of children in singing, dancing and drama was also well participated in by children who rendered prepared numbers focusing on their own issues.

Three non-governmental organizations with child focused advocacies convened also at the PSWDO last month to discuss programs and projects and where each can provide areas of complementation and fund sharing in the several activities scheduled next year Relativo explained.

Josephina B. Deri, federation manager of FACE, a non-governmental organization that provides assistance to children spearheaded the Children’s Month celebration and was one of the accomplished activities of the council to celebrate children’s month.

Meanwhile Rico Guarino, Local Government Operations Officer V (LGOO ) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) also reported that their agency will be conducting a reorientation program to local officials about the utilization of the 1% budget allocation for the council in the barangays.

Part of the PCPC accomplishment this quarter was the inter visitation conducted also in several municipalities to monitor the functionality of the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) with the Department of Education and Green Valley Development Program , both members of the council providing assistance.

Relativo also shared to the members of the council that she attended a meeting on feed backing of the implementation of the Early Childhood and Development held at Manila Hotel last Aug. 31, 2011.

The recommendation during the conference was to construct a Child Development Center here where a paid Child Development Worker will be trained and will be the regular staff of the center.

In the meeting , a team building activity was also scheduled this January to provide all the members of the council added skills in the functionality of the organization to be conducted by the Local Government Academy. (IAG, PIA Sorsogon)

Bicol Competitiveness Committee organized

by Ed de Leon

LEGAZPI CITY, November 10 (PIA) -- To improve the ranking of the country with respect to the “ease of doing business” in the country in general and Bicol in particular, the Bicol Competitiveness Committee (BCC) under the Regional Development Council (RDC) was formally organized the other day during its meeting held last Wednesday (Nov. 9) at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) regional office here.

The committee was created during the August 26, 2011 RDC regular full council meeting through RDC Resolution No. 25 (Series of 2011) through the prodding of RDC chair Albay Gov. Joey Salceda after the presentation made by Guillermo Luz, national chairman of the National Competiveness Council, when it was shown that the Philippines was ranked 136 out of 183 countries rated in the category of the ease of doing business in the Country.

The committee is composed of the following member agencies DTI, DILG, DOLE, DOST, DOT, NEDA, PIA, six from Provincial Planning and Development Councils (PPDCs), seven from City Planning and Development Councils (CPDCs) and from the Local Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCIs).

During the conference the committee members agreed to immediately map out plans for implementation starting the first quarter of next year to significantly improve the environment in doing business in Bicol more particularly in standardizing the number of steps in the processing of application for the issuance of business permits and licenses issued by Local Governments Units (LGUs), reduced the cost of doing business and how to further improve productivity.

The Committee will also have a Technical Working Group that would meet regularly to tackle issues that could contribute to the easing of doing business in the region.

The meeting was presided by Director Romeo Escandor of NEDA. (MAL/EDL, PIA V)

Catanduanes, all set for 11-11-11 tree planting activity

by Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Nobyembre 10 (PIA) -- The 11-11-11 tree planting project spearheaded by the Congressional District Office under the leadership of Congressman Cesar V. Sarmiento of the lone district of Catanduanes is all set for tomorrow, November 11, 2011.

According to Cong. Sarmiento, the said program targets to plant 111,111 trees throughout the province wherein they would also like to steal the Guinness World Record for the most number of trees planted in a simultaneous tree-planting event under his project.

Local agencies and non-government organizations in the province already received last week 94,300 planting materials which mostly came from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

As a support, almost 3,000 magrove propagules will be planted by the provincial government together with its employees headed by Governor Joseph C. Cua in coastal areas and around 500trees will also be planted to areas affected by kaingin and illegal-logging.

In this connection, Gov. Cua issued a memorandum directing employees of the provincial government to join the one-day province-wide activity wherein employees who would fail to join have to give a formal letter of explanation to justify their reason for not joining the activity.

On the other hand, the 11 towns of Catanduanes have agreed to plant 65,000 trees that will be participated by volunteer schools, offices and private groups in their respective areas.

At present, almost 103,650 tree seedlings have already been distributed by the Congressional District Office which if planted this Friday will be twice the number of trees planted of the current world-record holder in simultaneous tree-planting event.

In Guiness Book of World Record, almost 7,000 participants simultaneously planted 64,096 na trees in 31,000 Hectares of land in the towns of Siruma and Tinambac Camarines Sur last February 23, 2011 sunder Governor LRay Villafuerte.

Meanwhile, Cong. Sarmiento is hoping for the success of the activity through the help of different groups which are expected to join the event.(MAL/EAB, PIA Catanduanes)


Antiques, primary attraction in Moseo de Catanduanes

by Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, November 10 (PIA) -- The newly opened Moseo de Catanduanes located at the Old Capitol Building, Sta. Elena, Virac, Catanduanes features different memorabilia and antique materials which refelect the long history of the province.

The Moseo was inaugurated last October 24, 2011 in line with the 66th Foundation Anniversary of Catanduanes.

According to Provincial Tourism and Promotion Officer Carmel Bonifacio Garcia of the Provincial Tourism, they are glad to introduce the bravery of the island’s ancestors and previous leaders through the materials used during those times.

Also in the moseo are religious artifacts, farm implements, historic memorabilias and other antiques which were donated by local citizens.

Mrs. Garcia also appealed to the public for more donations and encourgaed them to entrust to them the things used by their ancestors.

She also added that the establishment of the said moseo was made possible through the efforts of the Provincial Governor Joseph C. Cua as well as the Catandunganons who are inclined to the culture and heritage presentation like Dr. Estrella Placides of CSC and of the Catanduanes Culture Heritage Inc. (CCHI).

The moseo is open to public from 9-12 and from 1-4 p.m. (MAL/EAB, PIA Catanduanes)