Tuesday, January 30, 2007 Social Welfare office to continue Guimaras rehab By Ruby P. Silubrico
THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its Regional Director Teresita Rosales Monday said they will continue with the rehabilitation of Guimaras.
She said this during the celebration of the agency's 56th anniversary.
Rosales said they are waiting for the approval of their supplemental budget so they could continue with the rehabilitation of Guimaras after it was hit with oil spill last August 2006.
The DWSD needs P250 million for capacity building, cash for work and alternative livelihood activities for the affected communities in partnership with the Guimaras Provincial Government.
From the P250 million budget, P100 million will go to Cash for Work.
"Hopefully our proposed budget for this year will be approved so that we can start. We will continue with our role along with other sectors. We will provide direct services to women, children, family, persons with disability, older persons and the youth," Rosales said.
Rosales said in the rehabilitation efforts, the Provincial Government of Guimaras will have to identify their front projects, road rehabilitation, water system, daycare center, schools which the labor component is cash for work before the appropriation of the budget.
To do this, the DSWD proposed to Guimaras Governor Rahman Nava that they hire community facilitators who will handle the social preparation of the communities. Then, the Provincial Government will handle the payroll of the participants or workers amounting to P200 per day.
"Meaning, they are not only working but they would also help us do the capacity building and social preparation," Rosales added.
Last year, the DSWD has apportioned about P2 million for Guimaras. They have served about 1,600 families who participated in the cash for work including vegetable gardening, cleaning of evacuation center and putting up of the community kitchen.
With the big budget given to the DSWD this year, Rosales hopes that they can help provide a normal life to the Guimarasnons.
Last Aug. 11, 2005, MT Solar 1 sank off the island of Guimaras, causing tons of oil to spill. The spill affected the livelihood of some villages.
