Some 1,500 member-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Albay province benefited from government services brought closer to them by the Department of Social Welfare and Development-5 (Bicol) and the provincial government of Albay on Tuesday. Rina Apuyan, DSWD-5 4Ps provincial officer, said during the “ALBAYanihan Caravan” at Albay Astrodome here that the beneficiaries were selected through the Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) tool that assesses the well-being of 4Ps members. “Ito yung mga beneficiaries na nag-qualify (They are the beneficiaries who qualified) based on the assessment conducted by DSWD through the SWDI tool. We identified the needs gaps and needs of the 4Ps beneficiaries to attain and level up their well-being status,” she said. Apuyan said the top priority needs of 4Ps beneficiaries identified by the SWDI are employment, employable skills, health services, social security and additional income. The SWDI is a set of conditions, situations and resource utilization that enables a family to function adequately and use opportunities available in the community to improve their situation. “The one-day activity strengthens the convergence among the different partner agencies and the local government units of Albay. The service caravan bridges and fills in the 4Ps gaps and needs identified by the SWDI results,” Apuyan said. “Beneficiaries were from the 15 towns and three cities of the province. Some 16 companies participated in the caravan with 2,150 job vacancies offered,” she added. Employable skills were taught during the event by the Albay Provincial Agriculture Office and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. The Albay Provincial Health Office offered health services to the beneficiaries including general consultation, dental check-ups, electrocardiogram, X-rays, free circumcision, counseling for responsible parenthood and reproductive health, pneumonia vaccine for senior citizens and nutrition and breastfeeding counseling. The Department of Trade and Industry, on the other hand, provided business name registration, while the Children International, a non-profit child sponsorship organization, provided free essentials and medicines. Meanwhile, the DSWD has rolled out the emergency cash transfer to Bulacan residents who were affected by Typhoon Egay and the enhanced southwest monsoon in July. Identified beneficiaries from the towns of Guiguinto, Marilao, San Ildefonso and Doña Remedios Trinidad received on Tuesday PHP5,175 each in a distribution activity held at the Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center in Malolos City. Typhoon-hit residents in the towns of Paombong and Plaridel received similar financial assistance on Monday. ‘Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa ating mahal na Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian sa mga dumarating na ayuda sa atin (We are thankful to our beloved President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian for the assistance coming to us),’ said Governor Daniel Fernando. A report from the Bulacan Provincial Agriculture Office showed that the cost of damage to agriculture and fisheries by recent weather disturbances was pegged at over PHP244 million. The Provincial Veterinary Office, on the other hand, reported that damage to livestock and poultry reached over PHP24 million.
Source: Philippines News Agency