CEBU CITY, Philippines — In line with the Aquino’s administration thrust to create more local jobs in the country, the Region 7 office of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Friday, launched a skills intervention program to aid displaced female Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Dubbed as “Balik Pinay, Balik Hanapbuhay Project” the program offers a training-cum-employment intervention to bring out the socio-economic status of returning female OFWs. OWWA7 regional director Wilfreda Misterio bared that the said intervention program was specifically designed to assist women who were displaced during the recent financial crisis in the Middle East, victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking. (Phoebe Jen Indino)

12 Bohol towns get aid

BOHOL PROVINCE — At least 12 towns in this province are going to get the second round of financial assistance from the one of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) poverty reduction program.

Dubbed as Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), which started in 2003, the program has already served a cumulative 4,583 barangays in 200 municipalities all over the country. Meanwhile, with a fresh $120-million grant fund from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the project will once again embrace municipalities it formerly covered. (Phoebe Jen Indino)

Growth seen in NEDA 7

CEBU CITY – The National Economic and Development Authority- Central Visayas (Neda 7) revealed the region posted growth in the value and volume of exports for 2010, which rose to 28.2 percent and 24.9 percent, respectively. The same data also showed that importations grew the same year with a 31.2 percent and 75.8 percent increase in the value and volume of imports.

“This could be taken as another indication that indeed the export industry has started to recover,” the NEDA 7 statement read. (Malou M. Mozo)

GSIS kiosk

TACLOBAN CITY – Government employees with offices around the Provincial Capitol of Leyte can say goodbye to the tedious and drawn out transaction with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), as the agency has opened a new Wireless Automated Processing System (G-WAPS) Kiosk at the Leyte SMED Center here.

Availability of this G-WAPS kiosk likewise augurs well for the provincial capitol employees and other national government offices located nearby from spending time and money in going to the GSIS Regional Office in Marasbaras area. (Jack Gadaingan)

DSWD turns over Ajuy project

ILOILO CITY, (PNA) — Residents of Barangay Pedada, Ajuy, Iloilo thanked the Kalahi-CIDSS Makamasang Tugon program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. for the construction of a 1.031-kilometer drainage culvert in their barangay that will prevent flooding in the area.

Barangay chairman Alberto Babiera Sr. said the drainage culvert is a big help to the residents of the barangay which is usually hit by floods every time when rainfall is heavy. (PNA)