P1.4B given to over 190K 4Ps beneficiaries

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 director delivered a State of the Region Address on programs in line with President Rodrigo Duterte's commitment of easy delivery of services to the public sans long queues.

DSWD Regional Director Evelyn Macapobre in her over an hour SORA the other day emphasized the agency's values of transparency and public accountability as well as their performance for the past 11 months (January to November 2016).

She said there are 385, 534 poor households under Listahan 2 in Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor, which is higher compared to the 2009 Listahan 1 with more than 200,000, of which 43,729 have move up to near poor.

This means, she said, they are not poor anymore but still needs government services to ensure sustainability of their improved situation.

"The recently concluded Listahan 2 with 385,534 poor households have been identified. The increase is due to the wider scope of the areas covered by the assessment," she said.

There are 191,156 households beneficiaries that have received P1.4 billion from February to September under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the three provinces.

In these areas, compliance rate of the 4Ps beneficiaries are very high (education 89.18%, health 93%, and FDS 96.74%).

There are 188 students (12 graduated as cum laude, 37 passed LET exams) who completed college through DSWD's Student Grant in Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation.

Macapobre said that under their Sustainable Livelihood Program, they have served 17,207 out of the 24,732 target participants and they will continue serving the remaining 7,525 until the end of the year.

For the Kapitbisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrates Delivery of Social Services or the Kalahi-CIDSS or KC which covers 82 municipalities in the three provinces has implemented 1,892 sub-projects and 1,402 have already been completed of which P1.3 billion was already downloaded to communities out of the P1.9 billion fund allocation.

For Supplementary Feeding Program, the agency has served 83,197 pre-schoolers with a full-meal of which P146 million was already spent out of the P182 million allocation.

For Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens is the additional government assistance worth P500 monthly stipend was given to 67,567 beneficiaries of which P321 million was already spent out of the P405 million fund allocation.

A total of 520,735 El Nino and fire victims were extended food and non-food assistance and in coordination with Habitat for Humanity, 3,173 houses for the earthquake victims have been completed and turned over.

She added that a range of interventions to 35,069 individuals, families and community in crisis or difficult situation has been extended.

DSWD-7 has also provided assistance to families of OFWs through educational assistance as well as provided after care for recovering drug dependents. (FREEMAN)