DSWD7 to launch KALAHI-CIDSS in Siquijor
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, July 14 (PIA) The Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 7 (DSWD7) to launch the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) program in two identified municipalities in Siquijor.
The government’s poverty reduction program, KALAHI-CIDSS signals the start of the local government unit- facilitated ‘Makamasang Tugon’ project on July 15, Friday at 9:00 a.m. at Capital Square Siquijor, Siquijor.
DSWD-7 Regional Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre said the two identified municipalities of Enrique Villanueva and Siquijor will receive aid under the project.
KALAHI-CIDSS or (KC) program, a community-driven development program aimed at empowering communities to identify and implement development projects to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods.
The Makamasang Tugon or Community-Driven Development Local Planning Process –Harmonization Initiative ensures the sustainability of the program in the recipient town.
It is an approach designed to sustain the gains and lessons learned in participatory development and good local governance from the implementation of KALAHI-CIDSS project in recipient municipalities.
The DSWD targets beneficiaries of the poorest municipalities with poverty incidence of at least 33 percent.
The municipalities of Enrique Villanueva and Siquijor, and Bohol municipalities of Danao, Bien Unido, Buenavista, Getafe, Talibon, Ubay, San Miguel, Carmen, Pilar, Mabini, Carlos P. Garcia, and Trinidad are covered of the project.
Macapobre said, project implementation in the two provinces take place only for one year or one project cycle since they have been already covered by KALAHI-CIDSS in phases 1, 2, 3A, and 3B funded by the World Bank.
In Central Visayas alone, KALAHI-CIDSS has covered 349 barangays in 12 municipalities in the province of Bohol and 2 municipalities in Siquijor.
"It served approximately 80,000 households from 454 subprojects amounting to about P350 million. The most common infrastructure facilities constructed were farm-to-market roads, school buildings, potable waterworks systems, electrification, and day care centers," said Macapobre. (PIA NegOr/ JCT)
==========
Dumaguete mayor assures social services to continue despite IRA cut
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, July 13 (PIA) -- Social services in Dumaguete City will not be affected by its reduced internal revenue allotment (IRA) share in 2012.
This was the assurance of Dumaguete City Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria as he disclosed that his office has recently received notice from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) informing the city government of its share for 2012.
Records furnished by the mayor's office show that Dumaguete City is slated to receive around P253 million, a drop of about P12 million from its last IRA.
“Our operating expenses and the implementation of social service programs will not be affected by the lower IRA,” he assured during an interview.
However, the mayor hinted at the possibility that the wage increase of city government workers under the Salary Standardization Law might be affected by the reduced IRA.
There are currently 1,167 total employees at the city government, of which 626 are permanent workers.
Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad in earlier reports have attributed the smaller IRA of local government units (LGUs) for 2012 to the sharp decrease of revenue collections by the national government in 2009 following the global economic slump.
Sagarbarria also points to the creation of the 16 new cities in the country, one of which is Guihulngan in Negros Oriental, as another reason for the cut in IRA.
Sec. Abad has earlier announced that the total IRA shares of LGUs in 2012 is pegged at P273.31 billion, a drop of around P13 billion or 4.8 percent, compared to the P286.94 billion in 2011.
The other cities in Negros Oriental with their corresponding IRA shares for 2012 are as follows: Bais City, P350,518,556; Bayawan City, P566,750,799; Canlaon City, 256,192,506; Tanjay City, P334,846,301 and newly-converted Guihulngan City, P121,964,477. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
==========
Dumaguete City mulls an ordinance to set up breastfeeding station
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, July 13 (PIA) The local government of Dumaguete City has planned to pass an ordinance supporting the implementation of “Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009” to set up a lactating station in the workplaces as well as in the department stores.
This was raised by City Nutrition Officer Lourdes Taburaza in a Kapihan forum of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) saying that an ordinance is being developed to provide the breastfeeding mothers the comfort and privacy in feeding their babies outside their residences.
Taburaza said that the establishment of breastfeeding station is important especially to lactating working mothers for them to conveniently and exclusively breastfeed their babies.
As the province of Negros Oriental join the whole country in observance of the 37th Nutrition Month of July, series of breastfeeding campaigns have been conducted by the Provincial Nutrition Council (PNC) highlighting the importance and benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for infants.
In the same forum, according to Assistant Provincial Health Officer and PNC Action Officer Dr. Edgardo Barredo, breastfeeding is the most effective interventions to improve child’s survival and nutritionally better to any substitutes.
Speaking before the barangay health and nutrition workers, media and women’s group, Dr. Barredo explained the benefits and advantages of exclusive breastfeeding for the baby as human milk is naturally designed for human consumption.
Meanwhile, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Dr. Milo Jean Badon of SillimanUniversity Medical Center (SUMC) said that mothers should be educated on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months not only to the nutritional aspect of the baby but also in the psychological and emotional bonding between mother and child.
Dr. Badon added that breastmilk has all the water and nutrients that the baby needs for the first six months after which the baby should be given appropriate complementary foods while continuing breastfeeding.
This year’s celebration banners the theme: "Isulong ang Breastfeeding – Tama, Sapat, at EKsklusibo," which ensure successful breastfeeding and encourage all sectors of society to help promote, protect and support correct breastfeeding practices. (PIA NegOr/JCT)