No less than Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman flew over straight from Manila to personally deliver services to the people from the Aquino Administration. Sec. Soliman visited Bohol to personally hand over her department’s services to the Boholanos and to convey Pres. P-Noy’s message to the people. “DSWD programs are Pres. P-Noy’s answer to the high prices of food and to help the people empower themselves,” said Sec. Dinky. The DSWD programs and services for children, disabled persons, for women and other sectors of society are to specifically “empower Filipinos to help themselves and to recapture their lost dignity.” The Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan–Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDDS) Project which is basically for poverty alleviation; the Self-Employment Assistance Kaunlaran (SEA-K) Program which is a capability building program in partnership with local government units (LGUs) to enhance the socio-economic skills of poor families through the organization of community-based associations for entrepreneurial development; the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), a poverty reduction and social development strategy of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health,

nutrition and education particularly of children aged 0-14, with social assistance and social development as dual objectives; the supplemental feeding for Day-Care Center children, the Social Pension for indigents 77 years old and above who are without either SSS or GSIS pensions; are but some of the programs of the DSWD in partnership with the Chatto-Lim Administration, with full-fledged assistance and support from the administration of Pres. Benigno Aquino III. “When the budget of the country increases, we will be expanding our programs,” Sec. Soliman said, “and more Boholano families, especially those from the second and third districts, will surely get more help,” she added. According to the latest National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) survey in 2009, poverty incidence in Bohol alone rose to 36.2% as compared to 29% in 2006; with Districts 2 and 3 posting higher poverty incidence than District 1. As can be remembered, the First Congressional District was being represented by then Cong. Edgar M. Chatto, the incumbent governor of Bohol. The DSWD Secretary specifically visited Baclayon and met with Gov. Edgar M. Chatto and Cong. Rene Relampagos of the First District to personally hand-over to beneficiaries the cash pay-out for the rice subsidy program and to release the SEA-K project funds to the Dauis women’s organization. Sec. Soliman promised that “starting in the year 2012, indigents from the First Congressional District (who were not included in previous DSWD projects due to its lower poverty incidence rating) will surely receive benefits due them, especially the 4Ps.”

The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh), in full force and led by Gov. Chatto, Vice-Gov. Concepcion Lim, Cong. Rene Relampagos, and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Members, expressly gave thanks to Sec. Soliman by hosting a dinner in her honor and presented to her all PGBh programs which are proudly in concurrence with the national agenda of Pres. Aquino. The DSWD will be launching next week in Cebu its tie-up with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in which 20% of the latter’s labor force will be taken from 4Ps beneficiaries; and soon thereafter, its partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), where reforestation projects like the National Greening Program, will be assisted also by DSWD beneficiaries to help augment their income thereby uplifting their standard of living. “Bohol, to date, has already received P498M from DSWD as a strong indication of full support for Bohol from the Aquino Administration,” confirmed Sec. Soliman. The tie-ups with the DPWH and DENR will also be cascaded to other provinces and “Bohol would be sure to receive its share of the labor force.” Gov. Chatto, together with other PGBh officials, presented to Sec. Soliman a Golden Key to the province giving her full access to the sites, centuries-old heritage and world-renowned hospitality of the Boholanos. (jlv/EDCom)