BOHOL Vice-Gov. Dionisio Victor A. Balite, acting as governor, urged the municipal mayors and other local government officials to visit the barangays in their respective turfs to see for themselves the real situations of the constituency.
He said in his short speech during the first ever LCEs consultation dialogue in the country courtesy of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that people, or islanders are happy to see in person an official visiting them even if he did not have something to bring for them. This he experienced in his representations of the governor’s office.
The people in the barangays, he said, are happy to tell or share their concerns, or problems. And this must be attended to help uplift them from the clutches of poverty thru government interventions.
He also urged the municipal officials to work hand in hand with the agency so that liberating the poor from poverty by way of like, the 4Ps adaptation, may not be remote.
DSWD Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero said that DSWD workers in the towns need to do it, if possible house-to-house, and this needs the collaboration of other sectors, private or the civil society organizations.
The activity has featured success stories of the municipalities embracing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, known as 4Ps, after 15 years of implementation since in 2008 during the incumbency of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The 4Ps cited the best practices in the 4Ps implementation by municipalities.
The town of Pilar represented and demonstrated by Mayor Wilson Pajo on the improved level of well-being; Mayor Atty. Hilario Ayuban of Loay on the Joint Memorandum circular implementation; Acting Mayor V-Mayor Zenisa Bulalaque of Batuan on family development session implementation; Mayor Elvi Relampagos of Loon on convergence practices; Mayor Raymond Jala of Loboc (via virtual) on convergence practices; and Mayor Cary Camacho of Getafe on grievance redress system initiative.
4Ps National Program manager director Gemma Gabuya presented the situation of the program, saying that 4Ps is not a dole-out but an intervention to, not only to help uplift the living conditions of the poor, but to transform and give them an opportunity and their children the need for education and health.
Division chief of 4Ps Ms. Jiah Sayson gave the salient points of the Republic Act 11310, prescribing the 4Ps; Regional Case Manager Badrodin Pamaloy on the 2023 SWDI results and gaps; and IPD-LGU Mr. Gerald Louis Rabaya on good practices of the Joint Memorandum circular implementation.
The mayors were accorded with an open forum wherein they ventilate their stories about 4Ps implementation in their respective towns. (rvo)
