COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman is keen on the use of biometrics to ensure that target beneficiaries of the state’s Pamilyang Pilipino (4Ps) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) really get the grant, a report from the Philippine Information Agency said.

According to the PIA report, Sec. Soliman admitted at a recent meeting in Davao City with local executives across the country that implementing the 4Ps in ARMM remains most challenging. “Doing it in ARMM makes it the most difficult. There are towns in Maguindanao which are controlled by barangay captains, local chief executives and their representatives. (Ali G. Macabalang)

Model town

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PNA) – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has adopted the municipality of Surallah in South Cotabato as model among local government units (LGUs) in the area for its best practices in local governance.

Josephine Leysa, DILG-South Cotabato provincial director, said they are currently promoting the best practices of the Surallah municipal government, which was earlier received the prestigious Pamana ng Lahi national award from the agency. The local government received a cash grant of P1 million from President Benigno Simeon Aquino III as part of the fete.

Informal settlers

DAVAO CITY, (PNA) — The Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) popularly known as Pag-IBIG Fund in Southern Mindanao recently led a family day cum Christmas gift giving with the informal settlers and the underprivileged as kick off anniversary activity marking its 31 years of serving both government and the private sectors in this region.

The Fund's vice president for Southern Mindanao Group Jose W. Banzon, Jr. said reaching out to this sector is their way of sharing the positive growth that Pag-IBIG Fund has attained over three decades of continuously serving the members in this part of Mindanao.

Scholarship fund

DAVAO CITY — Davao City gets the bulk of the scholarship subsidies for Information Technology-Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) allocated for Mindanao through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Lizabel Holganza, president of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Davao, said the Office of the President through TESDA has granted P400 million to the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) for the Industry-Based Training for Work Scholarship Program (I-TWSP).

Holganza said of the P400 million, P89 million was allocated for the countryside in which Mindanao gets a share of P39 million. Of this, Davao City gets the biggest share of P20 million. (PNA)

March rally

PAGADIAN CITY (PIA) — The Diocese of Pagadian will lead the activities and events to highlight the celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10 as the church continues to take its firm stand against human rights violations and other life-threatening situations.

The said activities will start Saturday with a huge mobilization of people through a synchronized march rally dubbed as “PANAW UG SAKRIPISYO ALANG SA KINABUHI,” or Sacrifice and March Rally for Life.