30 brgys to get P10.8 M DSWD aid

Over 30 villages in the Bicolregion tagged as “Conflict-Affected Areas” (CAA) will get P10.8 million worth of projects aimed to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in their respective community, the Department of Social Services and Development (DSWD) in Bicol announced on Tuesday, Sept 1.

Arnel Garcia, DSWD Bicol regional director, said the villages to receive P300,000 each as grants are identified as insurgency affected areas by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

Garcia, in a statement, said villages to benefit from the grant include five barangays in Capalonga and 10 in Labo, all in Camarines Norte; six barangays in Ragay, three in Del Gallego, four in Lupi, all in Camarines Sur; and two barangay in Baleno, six in Aroroy, all in Masbate province.

The funds would be sourced from the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan Indigenous Peoples – Community-Driven Development (PAMAMA IP-CDD) program of the agency Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS).

The selected barangays will be implementing the Disaster Response Operations Modality/Procedure (DROM/P) to address the effects or impact of Covid-19 pandemic through the community projects identified based on their needs.

The eligible projects that can be funded under the program are the: conduct of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities about Covid-19; procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE), hygiene kits, sanitation and cleaning supplies to be distributed during activities; procurement of communication devices like sound systems; upgrading of identified public buildings into temporary isolation spaces; and capability building activities on disaster response and mitigation.

Establishment or upgrading of community-based monitoring system to be used for national or local tracking and response; provision of temporary employment using cash-for-work scheme; and procurement of Department of Health (DOH)- approved medical tools and equipment to be used in the Covid-19 response are also included in the DROM/P eligible projects.

PAMANA under the OPAPP is the government’s development framework that aims to strengthen peace building, reconstruction and development in CAAs.