GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — Filipino boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao will serve as the lead endorser of the government’s anti-poverty programs launched by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman met with Pacquiao recently At the General Santos City Airport to discuss the establishment of the “Face of Convergence,” an initiative by various line agencies in Central Mindanao tasked to undertake anti-poverty programs in the region, where Pacquiao serves as its endorser. Soliman said Pacquiao’s stature symbolizes the Filipino struggle to rise above poverty where the government’s poverty reduction programs seek to achieve. (Joseph Jubelag)

Audit training

MARAWI CITY – Commission on Audit (CoA) auditors serving the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) conducted a reorientation and dialogue on pre-auditing disbursement vouchers among finance officers of 30 municipalities in Lanao del Sur and this city in a bid to eradicate perceived hitches in the revival of such process.

Khem N. Inok, CoA regional director for the ARMM, said the activity was aimed at training treasurers, accountants, budget officers, disbursing officers, and even municipal or city administrators on the latest issuances regarding disbursement and pre-audit in their respective works. (Ali Macabalang)

Rural service

BUTUAN CITY – As part of its advocacy to promote rural electrification and extend services to indigent member-consumers, the Agusan del Norte Electric Cooperative (Aneco) continued its humanitarian services in Agusan del Norte and in this city. Part of its services is to extend free placement of new or replace old meters of at least 4,000 indigent member-consumers before the end of this year.

Aneco said approximately P10 million will be entailed in the service. Last year, Aneco has provided a total of 139,131 meters of service drop wires and 10,850 meter units to indigent consumers in Agusan del Norte and this city. (Mike Crismundo)

Dev't program

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The government’s land development convergence program at the Mount Balatukan Range in Northern Mindanao, especially in Misamis Oriental is expected to benefit at least 11,293 farm households.
The convergence effort of line agencies of the government is eyeing to further develop and expand food production for some 10,468 hectares of already existing and expansion areas, owing to its vast and rich agricultural lands. It was learned that this program is part of the Aquino administration’s strategy for poverty alleviation. (Mike Crismundo)

Volunteer search

BUTUAN CITY – The search for the “2011 Outstanding Volunteers” in the Caraga Region was announced Wednesday by the Region 13 office of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA-13). The search is participated in by regional stakeholders spearheaded by the NEDA.

The objective is to look for the qualified representative of the region to the national level. The search is open to all individuals of Filipino citizenship and Filipino volunteer organizations or local chapter organizations of foreign volunteer organizations that currently provide volunteer assistance in the Philippines. (Mike Crismundo)