Pantawid Pamilya calls for convergence of services

By Rizalie Anding Calibo

Siquijor, May 2 (PIA)--The Pantawid Pamilya Program that has started in the province only in September last year calls for greater support to ensure fair and effective implementation thus create greater impact particularly to the “real poor” beneficiaries. 

In a Kapihan sa PIA Forum Thursday at the Agripino Hotel, Salagdoong Beach Resort, Siquijor, Siquijor, Aileen Lariba, Information Officer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Region 7 has put across the need to unite all poverty-reduction efforts as she tried to address issues on the lapses in the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilya Program. 

During the forum, Municipal Health Officer Dr. Archibald Inso of Maria town, with two other action officers of Pantawid Pamilya-covered municipalities, raised issues on the supposedly unqualified beneficiaries being included in the list released by the National Household Targeting System (NHTS).

He cited specifically that of a certain lawyer and a mother with three sons working overseas being listed in their municipality while grieving for those “real poor” who were not included as beneficiaries.

He said this must be because enumerators must not have coordinated with the local government units (LGUs) prior to the picking up of beneficiaries.

Lariba said she will try to elevate the concern and do something to correct although she can only assure of the possibilities of the deletion from the list those that are not eligible. The deleted names, however, can no longer be replaced with new beneficiaries, she said.

Since implementation has already started in the province, Lariba calls for convergence of all services to create greater impact on its poverty-reduction programs.  This, she, said will assure success in the government’s goal of alleviating the poor as it hopes to eliminate overlapping of other programs and services.

In Siquijor, three out of six municipalities (Enrique Villanueva, Maria and Lazi) are covered with the program.

Some 1,106 households from five barangays of Lazi town have received the first pay-out totaling P6,586,900 in September last year, of which P3,263,00 is for health and P3,243,900 for education.  Lazi has 489 out of the 500 target beneficiaries. Eleven more barangays are set for expansion in February to a total of 16 barangays all,  with 618 out of the 643 target potential beneficiaries, says the report from Social Welfare Officer Jocelyn Adalid, Municipal Link Officers Apple Macasilhig and Jade Hazel Ann Pestillos.

Enrique Villlanueva town house 206 households and Maria town, 585, the report also said. 

Pantawid Pamilya provides conditional cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition and education particularly children aged 0-14 to break the intergenerational poverty cycle through investment in the human capital, Lariba said.

It helps to fulfill the country’s commitment to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality, reduce child mortality and improve maternal health, she said.

She explained that household beneficiaries will receive the following conditional cash grants of P6,000/ year or P500/ month per household for health and nutrition expenses; and P3000 for one school year or 10 months or P300 /month per child for educational expenses. 

The allowed maximum number of children per household is three and five years at most for the maximum period that each household beneficiary will receive the conditional cash grant, she also explained. (RAC/PIA-Siquijor)

==========

SIQUIJOR MEDIA ATTENDS SEMINAR ON MEDIA MURDERS

Siquijor,May 2 (PIA)--Two media representatives from Siquijor province namely; Eda Lou Tangapa-Manigo, Editor of The Siquijor Mirror and Reporter Renan Ansing attended recently a three-day regional training seminar-workshops on Media Murders and the Quest for Justice at Montebello Villa Hotel in Banilad, Cebu City. 

The seminar was part of the continuing efforts of thePhilippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and in partnership with the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines to provideprofessional development opportunities for journalists from all parts of the Philippines. 

The Visayas leg of the seminars was participated in by 15 working journalists in all from the community, mainstream, and online media, as well as citizen bloggers based in the Visayas.  The seminar course featured an overview and updated reports on the cases of media murders, and an assessment of how the Maguindanao massacre in 2009 and other incidents of media killing have changed the course of doing journalism in the country.  

As well, the seminar offered practical safety tips, legal and journalism tool kits, and hands-on exercises to help the participants refine their reporting skills and ethical obligations as professional journalists. 

No less than Atty. Prima Quinsayas, legal counsel, Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists (FFFJ); Dean of Student Affairs, St. Scholastica’s College, Manila; Malou Mangahas, Founder and Executive Director- PCIJ and Ed Lingao, Multi-media Director- PCIJ were the resource persons for the seminar. 

At the end of the three-day training course, the participants were equipped with better understanding of the culture of impunity and its impact on press freedom and democracy, their role and rights as journalists, and the relationship of media ethics and safety. 

Some of the sessions built on the content and public awareness values of the documentaries on media killings in the country that the PCIJ is producing for the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists, including an instructional video for journalists in vulnerable areas. (Rizalie A. Calibo/PIA-Siquijor from the reports of Eda Lou T. Manigo) 

===========

Siquijor gears up for ruby jubilee

Province fields ideas for a grander fete

  
Siquijor, May 2 (PIA)--As the province of Siquijor gears up for its Ruby Jubilee Year on September 17, 2011, the provincial government kicked around a number of ideas in a recent meeting with the government and private sectors for a bigger, more fabulous Araw ng Siquijor celebration. 

Provincial Board Member Art Pacatang urged individuals from the public and private sectors as well as civic organizations to get involved in the upcoming 40th Siquijor Day. 

This is to prove to the world that we are competent people and worthy of the freedom that our predecessors have fought for, he said.  

The six mayors of the province collectively aired their requests to the Provincial Capitol that they be allocated with a bigger budget so that each of their towns can display a more spectacular show extravaganza with their products to make the celebration all the more magnificent. 

Another speaker at the meeting, Rowena Maputi, one of the coordinators for the sportsfest, offered her own ideas for making the Jubilee more appealing and inviting to the locals and tourists. 

She suggested that the tri-media should be utilized to publicize and promote the big event. 

Lined-up activities slated from September 12 to 17 include the agri-trade fair, poster making, garay, bulilit, comparza, tourism jingle, dancesports, balitaw, balak, festival of festivals showdown, cultural presentation and the prestigious search for Miss Siquijor Tourism 2011. 

Governor Orlando “Shane” Fua, Jr., meanwhile, vowed his all-out support to the Provincial Tourism Council, which he chairs and which is tasked to lead this year’s bigger and grander celebration. 

 “We’ve got a lot of good old and new fun stuff to do this year,” the governor said.

 “This is about Siquijor province, and this is about the 40th anniversary of the fair.” (Rizalie A. Calibo/PIA-Siquijor from the reports of Eda Lou Manigo/Renan Ansing)