THE administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is prioritizing areas in Mindanao which have remained poor due to armed-conflict by ensuring the convergence of front line government agencies which are expected to deliver services mainly aimed at alleviating poverty.
In line with this, the government launched the Comprehensive Reform and Development Agenda for ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) and Armed-Conflict Affected Areas in Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Soccsksargen, the launching in Northern Mindanao.
The launching, done in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, was spearheaded by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) and promised better agricultural production; education for the youth; better health care for the family, particularly mothers and their children; technology and vocational skills; affordable housing; good governance; assurance of better response on welfare concerns; water projects; and an insurance coverage for medical and hospitalization needs.
Engineer Roxana Hojas, Department of Agriculture (DA)-Northern Mindanao assistant regional director, clarified that the government assistance they are giving to farming families is a not a dole out, rather farmers are made accountable and should show results on whether the program of the DA is met.
“This is not a give-away assistance since farmers are expected to do their part in the implementation of good agricultural practices so that better crop yield and economic returns are materialized for their long term benefit.” Hojas said.
She said that beneficiaries of the DA’s P29.8 million fund for the various agricultural development projects, who renege on the terms set by the rules of the DA program commitments, the giving out of assistance would be discontinued or will be reviewed for further assessment by the agency.
DA-Northern Mindanao distributed more than 6,000 bags of seeds for rice and corn, 1,200 packets of lowland vegetable seeds, and planting materials for the production of forage for livestock.
DA said that agricultural production has an immediate effect in addressing poverty incidence-income generation and in securing food for the families.
Deserving youths could go to college with the P2.5 billion allocated for SY 2016-2017 to be used for tertiary education of poor but deserving students belonging to the indigent household under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
This financial assistance program is the Expanded Students’ Grants-In- Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA). Grantees of this program are poor but deserving students giving priority to Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries qualified to enroll in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in course offerings aligned with the priorities of the government.
The ESGP-PA aims to contribute to the National Government’s thrusts in effectively addressing poverty alleviation by increasing the number of graduates in higher education among poor households and to facilitate the employment in high-value added occupations and promote livelihood opportunities in order to lift their families out of poverty and contribute national development. It is implemented by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched), DBM, DSWD, Dole, and participating SUCs as a long-term instrument and commitment to break the vicious poverty cycle afflicting the poor but deserving Filipino youth and their families.
“The program is also CHED’s commitment and support to the action plan being set forth by President Rodrigo Duterte’s Administration in improving the economic condition of conflict-affected areas under the Comprehensive Reform and Development Agenda,” said John Banaynal, chief Education Program Specialist.
Each student grantee is entitled to P30,000 as academic grant per semester - P10,000 will cover the cost for tuition and other school fees per semester, P2,500 will cover the cost for textbooks per semester, and a stipend of P3,500 per month will cover the cost for food, lodging, clothing, transportation, medical needs, school supplies, and other related costs.
These students are among the 2,256 ongoing ESGP-PA scholars funded for SY 2016-2017, enrolled in 10 SUCs in Northern Mindanao with a total funding allocation of P60,000 per student for two semesters for this School Year 2016-2017 or a total P135,360,000.
Datu Masiding Alonto, jr., Regional vice president of PhilHealth Region 10 , in a statement, said that his agency is in full support of the government’s program and will continue to lay down the foundation with respect to providing an affordable and quality health care service, specifically for the constituents of Lanao del Norte.
PhilHealth with its program in complementing the health care institutions like the No Balance Billing for indigent sponsored program members and dependents, and the Point of Care where indigent families not yet coverd can be given membership by participating government hospitals.
Tesda accorded 50 scholarship slots for students in Lanao del Norte, while the Department of Interior and Local Government proceeded with its Salintubig or water system program in almost all of the towns of the province, and the Department of Health strengthening its advocacy in looking after the welfare of mothers and children by given them the necessary intervention to lessen maternal and infant mortality rate.
“It is our long time aspiration, we Mindanaoans, to have an armed-conflict-free community because we very well know the devastating effect of this conflict to people’s lives, environment, and is an obstacle to development. And now the time has come for the realization of this aspiration after generations of fighting.” Alonto said.