“Ridiculously Funded”: Province outsourcing 2 centers

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu provincial government is turning over some of the social welfare services it is providing to certain sectors to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and private firms in order to save funds.

In an interview, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia reported that they have turned over the My Home Facility, a housing center for children in conflict with the law to the DSWD last September. This means that the province will stop subsidizing the facility for the last quarter of this calendar year.

"I just feel na if we are going to spend so much on just a few and yet there are so many others needing our help, then there is an imbalance and ultimately an injustice being committed here," the governor reasoned.

According to her, the province spends up to P375,000 per child per year in the facility. There are 10 house parents assigned to 13 children.

"Mura man ug mahimo na'g privileged few," she said.

The governor added that the cost of the operation of the facility "reached the point of ridiculousness" and that the national departments would be best suited to continue operating it.

Another social service facility that the Province of Cebu has now stopped funding is the Women Center in Naga which will now be bid off to private corporations.

The center serves around 20 women.

The move to turn over these two centers, according to the governor, was discussed during the Economic Enterprise Council meeting she had earlier this week.

Instead of shelling out funds for these facilities, Gwen said she will focus on equitable social service programs such as the Bugasan sa Kababayin-an.  BRP (FREEMAN)