THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Central Visayas highlighted some of its accomplishments this year during the Kapihan sa PIA forum held recently Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Incorportation (Rafi) Building.
DSWD-Central Visayas Regional Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre discussed several accomplishments of the agency in 2017, including challenges they faced when it comes to public and social service.
“Aduna man kami gitawag nga tinuig nga Sora or State of the Region Address. Diha niana amo pud gina-report og unsa ang mga nahimo sa DSWD, apil na pod ang mga challenges ug kinsa man pud ang nakatabang nga nalabangan namo kato nga mga challenges,” Macapobre said in her opening statement.
DSWD-Central Visayas was acclaimed as one of the awardees of the Lanao del Sur Provincial Government for the services they rendered during the siege in Marawi City.
“Kadto nga award dili lamang katuparan namo sa DSWD, kung dili para to tanan nato labi pa gyud ang mga volunteers nga ni tapok didto sa atoang Visayas Disaster Resource Center (DRC) og ni tabang namo ug pamutos,” Macapobre said.
More than 300,000 family-food packs and more than 500 non-food items were delivered to Marawi, she said.
The agency also initiated cash-for-work and food-for-work programs to aid Marawi evacuees staying in Cebu. Within the program, the evacuees were given an opportunity to earn income through voluntary works such as packing of goods and clearing of canals in the villages they live in.
Moreover, DSWD-Central Visayas was also one of the five regions who were given a share of P131-million from the P1-billion budget alloted by the President for patients who cannot afford enough medical needs.
Aside from giving free medicines to poor patients, Malasakit Centers will also be established to five other hospitals in the region, namely: Eversley Child's Sanitarium and General Hospital, Talisay District Hospital, St. Anthony Mother & Child Hospital (Cebu), Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital (Bohol), and Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (Tagbilaran City).
Malasakit Centers will serve as one-stop-shop to provide convenient medical assistance to patients. It will consist of workers of DSWD, PhilHealth, PCSO, among others.
Macapobre said that they are still working on other provinces like Negros Oriental and Siquijor, adding that the alloted budget is due this year only.
“Naglaum man mi kay positive man pud ang reaction ni President (Rodrigo) Duterte when we started reporting about kung unsa nay nahimo. If madugangan ang pundo, mag abli pud ta ug dugang nga mga ospital,” she said.
The department also mentioned accomplishments such as the supplementary feeding activity that occured twice a day which served up to 181, 968 children in Day Care Centers. Another highlight was the giving of P500 pesos a month to 220 centenarians in the region.
During the onslaught of Tropical Storm Urduja, DSWD delivered 10,000 food packs to the affected residents in Daanbantayan, Medellin, Madridejos, and Pilar on Sunday, December 17.
One thousand food packs were also delivered in Toledo; 160 food packs for the stranded participants of the DepEd activity in Dumaguete City; and 1,000 in San Francisco, Poro, and an additional in Pilar.
Macapobre said DSWD started delivering 20,000 food packs on December 18 in Biliran province, which was ravaged by Urduja. (Reva Alixz G. Hermosa and Lawrice Glee B. Eltagonde, USC Communications Interns)