DSWD pours P1.5-B to Pablo-hit towns in DavOr

 Davao del Norte, November 26 (PIA) - - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) poured in a total of P1.5-billion to the three towns of Davao Oriental, which are highly affected by Typhoon Pablo.

DSWD Sec. Corazon “Dinky” Soliman disclosed recently that the national government, through her office, allocated more than a billion worth of projects to Baganga, Cateel and Boston, all towns of Davao Oriental that Typhoon Pablo made a major damage almost two years ago.

Sec. Dinky Soliman said that the bulk of their funding covered modified shelter assistance in the province, which amounts to more than P1.3-billion and gave shelter to 18,432 families.

“Aside from that we also allotted P77-million for Emergency Shelter Assistance, which gave out P 10,000 to 7,786 families, and a total of more than P 49-million for Sustainable Livelihood Program,” Secretary Soliman said.

Soliman emphasized some of the sustainable livelihood programs in the province such as goat, native chicken and abaca production in Baganga; bangus and danggit culture in Boston; and chilli and rice production in Cateel.

“These projects are on top of the regular programs, which we continuously implemented in the province,” she said.

Soliman added that the office’s regular program included the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program benefiting 8,126 families, Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizen serving 548 individuals and Supplementary Feeding Program covering 3,490 children.

She said that the regular programs have an allocation of around P28-million.

Meanwhile, Gov. Corazon Malanyaon thanked Sec. Soliman for constantly helping the province in rehabilitating from the devastation of the typhoon.

“I truly appreciate Sec. Soliman and the DSWD because they were there when the typhoon struck us until now that the affected areas are recovering,” Governor Malanyaon said.

Malanyaon said that the rehabilitation carries the banner ‘Building Back Better Davao Oriental.’

“We are not only restoring what was lost; but rehabilitating and rebuilding a new and better community and perhaps better people,” she said. (PIA 11, Michael Uy)