Integrated program to benefit coastal communities in Panabo

DAVAO DEL NORTE, February 16, 2015 – The Provincial Government of Davao del Norte is launching this month the Cagangohan Community-Based Integrated Development Program (CCBIDP) that aims to improve the lot of indigent families in the coastal barangay of Panabo City.

The program will pool together the resources of various government agencies and the private sector in developing a 1.5-hectare lot to be a pilot adaptation project in uplifting the social, economic and environmental well-being of the shoreline community.

Governor Rodolfo del Rosario bared the components of the initiative include; organic agriculture, coastal biodiversity conservation, tourism development, grassroots sports development and livelihood development.

“We shall involve the mechanism of pooling the resources of the government and the private sector together in providing a better quality of life to the coastal community,” he said. 

Del Rosario added the facilities that will be put up in the area include an organic agriculture demonstration farm, mangroove nursery, boardwalk, an open-air seawater swimming pool, restaurants, and the likes.

 Beneficiaries identified for the project consist of recipients of the government’s 4Ps program and indigenous community.

They will be given emergency employment while engaged in some livelihood training to become a cohesive community with profitable productive opportunities.

 “They will be compensated while they are learning,” the Governor said.

The youth in the area will also be trained in the swimming event, capitalizing on their inherent physical strength and endurance in open-water swimming. 

Since the area is identified as a tourism site, the residents will also be capacitated in tourism management.

Joining forces with the provincial government are the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Interior and Local Government,  Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment, and the Kasilak Foundation, among others.

The project is anchored under the Ugmad Komunidad (UK) program, which was launched by del Rosario over two years ago to help constituents generate revenue primarily through sports tourism and livelihood activities.(Noel Baguio DavNor PIO)