Simultaneous cash pay-outs for social service recipients held in Dumaguete
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, June 29 (PIA) --- Selected senior citizens, farmers and fisherfolks in Dumaguete City today received their cash assistance from the national government during a simultaneous cash pay-out held by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here.
Social welfare personnel handed out cash grants to the identified recipients of two national government-funded social service programs that are being implemented through DSWD, namely, the Rice Subsidy Program and the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens.
Of the 82 cash subsidy beneficiaries who attended the twin pay-outs at the Dumaguete Women's Center in Brgy. Tinago, 27 were senior citizens and 55 were farmers and fisherfolks.
All the beneficiaries were identified and validated by DSWD based on the National Household Targeting System earlier conducted by the department.
Each of the qualified senior citizen aged 77 years old and above received a total of P1,500 which serves as their stipend for January to March.
“We are still processing your stipend for April to June,” Dumaguete City Social Welfare and Development Officer Marina Mendoza told the senior citizens, adding that another pay-out will be done soon as the funds are ready for release.
The P500 per month social pension stipend is in line with Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2009. Qualified to receive are those who are considered poor and not receiving any other social pension, living below poverty line, and those who are differenty abled, frail and sickly, according to the DSWD website.
On the same occasion, each of the beneficiaries of the Rice Subsidy Program received a total of P2,937, a one-time cash subsidy from the national government for small-scale farmers and fisherfolks during the lean season.
The cash grant is distributed on a cash-for-training and cash-for-work basis wherein beneficiaries are required to undergo a four-day training followed by seven days of community development work for P267 per day.
In his speech during said activity, Dumaguete City Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria luaded Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III for initiating said social programs, adding that the city government is also holding similar measures to help the senior citizens and agriculture sector in the city. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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Bagsakan Center for organic products soon to open in Dumaguete City
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, June 29 (PIA) --- A 'Bagsakan' Center for organic farm products coming from farmers in Negros Oriental will soon open in Dumaguete City as the provincial government here strives to promote organic farming.
Renovation work costing P500,000 is now ongoing on an existing structure between the Tabo sa PAO area and Hall of Justice along E.J. Blanco Drive in Brgy. Piapi, Dumaguete City.
Capitol Information Officer Adrian Sedillo said the center will sell purely organic products fresh from local farms. "Only farm produce that have been certified by our technicians as 100 percent organically-grown will be sold in the Bagsakan Center," he said.
Sedillo added that consumers can now have more buying choices between organically-grown and non-organic farm products being sold at the Tabo sa PAO located right beside the soon-to-open Bagsakan Center.
The Tabo sa PAO was started in 2000 by the Provincial Agriculturist Office (PAO) as a local version of a farmer's market, providing farmers a venue to sell their produce at lower costs at it eliminates the middle men. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)