Since 2022, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has released over P700 million in assistance to poor families and senior citizens in Catanduanes as well as various projects identified by recipient communities.
This was disclosed last June 1, 2023 by DSWD Bicol Regional Director Norman Laurio in a forum held before members of the local media at the ARDCI Corporate Inn
In his report on the 2022 and 1st quarter 2023 regional and provincial accomplishments, the DSWD-5 chief said that out of the 1.16 million poor households in the Bicol region identified under the Listahanan 2021, Catanduanes accounts for just 16,816 households or 1.44 percent of the total.
In its bid to improve the wellbeing of the poor, Laurio said, DSWD implements the Pantawid, Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and its Conditional Cash Transfers, with 14,336 households in the province registered as beneficiaries.
For 2022, 14,568 households in the province have received a total of P353 million in cash grants, followed by P58 million for 13,778 households this first quarter of 2023 out of the total P345 million funded for the year.
Another 3,000 households have been registered in the island under the program that provides cash grants and subsidies in return for complying with conditionalities related to health, education and family development.
In the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kahali-CIDSS) poverty alleviation program for communities, the DSWD has completed total of 210 subprojects since 2022.
The projects identified by the recipient communities have benefited 42,738 households, with 9,316 laborers hired during implementation. Another 87 projects for 12,376 households are to be completed within the year under additional financing.
Under the Balik Probinsya Bagong Pag-Asa Program (BP2P), 819 households in Bicol have received P72 million in family subsidies while 56 subprojects worth P51.8 million were completed, Laurio stated.’
Twenty-three subprojects are slated for Catanduanes that would benefit 2,010 households.
For this year, 314 households in the island are targeted under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), a capability-building program for poor, vulnerable and marginalized households and communities to improve their socio-economic conditions.
One hundred sixteen (116) women and children have been rehabilitated in three centers being operated by the DSWD in the Bicol region for 2022-2023.
Dir. Laurio bared that in the 12th cycle of the Supplementary Feeding Program for CY 2022, 8,108 children in Catanduanes have been served, with a total of P14.5 million disbursed for the program. For the 13th cycle, P22.2 million is allocated for the provision of food, in addition to regular meals, to 8,812 target children.
He reported that for CY 2022, 18,995 senior citizens have received a total of P113.3 million under the Social Pension Program that provides P500 monthly stipend to indigent seniors.
This first quarter of 2023, 5,283 out of 19,145 senior citizens have received a total of P15.8 million in social pensions.
Last year, nine (9) centenarians in the province got P100,000 each as free cash incentive as a gift from the national government. Three of 10 Catandunganons turning 100 this 2023 have already been given the gift this January to March.
Under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), 31,159 beneficiaries in Catanduanes were given a total of P149 million in assistance in 2022. The aid for islanders consists of burial (926), educational (10,813), food (7,786), medical (7,627), transportation (3,740) and other (267) assistance.
This 2023, the DSWD has already disbursed P29.7 million for 4,750 beneficiaries in the province, RD Laurio said.
The department provided community-based services to 145 clients who needed counselling, referral for medical, legal and psychological assistance, financial or livelihood help and others in 2022.
It also disbursed P1.2 million for educational assistance, hygiene kits and gift packs to 150 street children and 75 street families, including Sama-Bajau.
Fifty-seven (57) trafficked persons were provided with social services in 2022, with another 16 already served as of April 31, 2023.
In disaster response, the DSWD Bicol chief said it provided nearly P51 million in Family Food Packs and Non-Food Items in 2022.
This year, it has provided 12,471 FFPs and NFIs in Catanduanes, with 2,219 prepositioned in selected LGUs as of May 15.
Provincial and municipal LGUs also received technical assistance and resource augmentation from DSWD-5, while a total of 17 LGUs and intermediaries were oriented with social technologies or development models of intervention to address emerging social issues.’