DILG to identify projects with direct impact on poor families

2009/01/14

DILG to identify projects with direct impact on poor families

by T. Villavert

Iloilo City (14 January) -- Secretary Ronaldo Puno ordered DILG officials to pinpoint projects that will have a direct impact on poor families that can be implemented in the first few months of 2009 so that "we can help create jobs and add to the national government efforts to pump prime the economy in the midst of the global economic slowdown".

Geared towards insulating Filipinos from the effects of the worldwide financial slowdown, the DILG's job-generating projects and other anti-poverty initiatives in the first quarter of 2009 is part of Malacanang's economic resiliency program, disclosed the DILG press report.

The Department's high-impact "social protection" projects could be immediately implemented in the first few months of 2009 to help create and preserve jobs and empower local government units (LGUs) to efficiently deliver basic services to the people.

According to the DILG press report, Puno said the projects include the DILG's Project OYSTER, which provides jobs and emergency economic assistance for marginalized workers and out-of-school youths (OSYs) through the barangays. OYSTER stands for "Out-of-School Youths Servicing Towards Economic Recovery."

DILG Undersecretary for Local Government Austere Panadero said another DILG "value-added" project—the Localization of Millennium Development Goals (MDG) initiative—is also ready to carry out P107.83 million-worth of projects in the first quarter of 2009 to help generate jobs and provide "social protection" to poor families as soon as the LGU beneficiaries complete the submission of documents for the release of funds for their respective projects.

These projects include the construction of a daycare center, hospital, public market; the establishment of a water system; implementation of an integrated agricultural project and the procurement of heavy equipment in various LGUs across the country.

The DILG's Localization of MDG project aims to capacitate LGUs in effectively implementing programs in their respective localities that conform with the Millennium Development Goals of eradicating poverty.

The United Nations' Millennium Development Goals are the world's time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty and worst forms of human deprivation in its many dimensions—income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclusion—while promoting gender equality, education, and environment sustainability, the DILG press report disclosed. (PIA 6)

Cabatuan.com - Kasimanwa.com - Austere Panadero