A new partnership project between the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and a private cooperative Iraya Farms was launched last April 19, 2012 in Jicontol Valley, Dolores Eastern Samar. The said project is envisioned to implement agricultural farming systems and technology that will upgrade the traditional farming practices of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) beneficiaries, as well increase productivuty located in developed and irrigated but under-utilized agricultural lands.
In the launching, A total of 556 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries from seven barangays embraced by Jicontol Valley, namely Buenavista, Osmena, Hinalaso, Jicontol, Gap-ang, Cabago-an and Mayombong, received a certificate of eligibility on the said pilot project through the Self Employment Assistance –Kaunlaran program of the DSWD.
Project Development Officer, Evangeline Iñigo of the DSWD Poverty Reduction Programs Bureau, mentioned in her talk that this is one way to achieve the three objectives on DSWD’s Livelihood Program namely: economic sustainability, food security and environmental sustainability.
Meanwhile, Dolores Municipal Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo called for cooperation among the beneficiaries, saying- “this is not the first time that they were given assistance that will help improve their quality of life in the agricultural sector.”
DSWD Regional Director, Leticia Diokno then explained how Pantawid Pamilya will play its role in value formation among beneficiaries. Diokno reminded the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya’s conditionalities, emphasizing the importance of the Family Development Session (FDS) which is scheduled monthly. “Non-compliance to attend the FDS means P500 deduction to the monthly cash grant,” she further pointed out.
Pantawid Pamilya, or widely known as Conditional Cash Transfer Program, provides cash assistance to family households with 0-14 years old children and with pregnant woman during the survey. The program has a set of conditions that the beneficiaries need to comply with before they could get the exact amount of cash assistance for their children’s needs in education and health. For education, the household receives P300 per child per month for the duration of school year; and for health, P500 per household is received by the most responsible member of the family, usually the mother. FDS belongs to the health conditions of the program, where the mother or the parents are required to attend monthly. Cash grants are received by the beneficiaries every after two months of monitoring through the Compliance Verification System of the program.
Moreover, Hermanito Mangalao, DSWD Sustainable Livelihood Focal Person in the region said during an interview that the Department is being optimistic and takes it as a challenge to hone the beneficiaries in improving their agricultural or farming techniques. He said, this would mean intensive social preparation, referring to the failure of previous agricultural projects at Jicontol Valley, as shared by the Municipal Mayor.
He also added that a convergence strategy among partner-agencies is necessary for the project to succeed. This means to tightly join hands with the Department of Agriculture, Philippine Coconut Authority, Fiber Industry Development Authority and the Local Government Unit.