DUMAGUETE CITY,
Feb. 18 (PIA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development Region-7
(DSWD) yesterday briefed members of Dumaguete media on the department’s
convergence strategy in implementing its three social protection programs to
address poverty.
DSWD believes it is also
important to for the local media to know how these programs carry out the
strategy as well as its gains for Negros Oriental as partners in information
dissemination.
DSWD’s convergence
strategy is the harmonized implementation of the department’s three social
protection program which are the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps),
Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social
Services-National Community-Driven Development Program (KALAHI-CIDSS-NCDDP) and
the Sustainable Livelihood Program.
DSWD-7 Planning Officer
Anthony Arsenal explained it is a multi-dimensional approach to alleviate the
situation of poor Filipino families.
“Convergence is focusing
and synchronization of resources, services and interventions on specific target
families,” Arsenal said.
The 4Ps is the country’s
conditional cash transfer program, wherein the government hands over cash
grants to poor families to ensure that the educational, nutritional and health
needs of children are properly addressed has 4.4 million families nationwide.
DSWD’s 4Ps is now on the
6th year of implementation in Negros Oriental.
The KALAHI-CIDSS-NCDDP,
on the other hand, aims to empower communities and improve local governance
through community driven-development approach have covered 334 barangays in 14
municipalities in Negros Oriental so far.
Arsenal also presented
during the briefing that in 2012, the province has registered a 45.3% poverty
incidence. This translates to 314, 659 identified poor families.
However, Arsenal noted
that the 2012 earthquake in Guihulngan had affected the magnitude of poor
families in Negros Oriental.
The DSWD will once again
conduct a verification of poor families within the year to update their
database on the number of poor households in the province.
Arsenal emphasized to
local media personnel that DSWD’s convergence strategy aims bring self
sufficiency to poor individuals in the province and help poor families rise
from poverty. (ral/PIA7-NegOr)