LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — To make sure that the cash-aid program is actually given to those families who deserved it, the Region 7 office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will strengthening its regular eligibility check routine (ECR). As of June this year, the agency has already delisted close to 1,200 households who are recipients of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Majority of those who were delisted came from Cebu province. Johannah Lunor, DSWD provincial grievance officer, bared that of the 1,154 people barred from receiving the financial assistance, 554 voluntarily waived themselves off from the program while the rest were categorized as part of the inclusion error, fraud and re-assessment. (Phoebe Jen Indino)
ELIGIBILITY CHECK
ILOILO CITY, Iloilo—Persons with disabilities (PWDs) are urged to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming May, 2013 elections. “We are human beings and have the right to choose our leaders,” said Dolores Laudenorio, consultant at Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) of Iloilo City. “We should not just be staying in our homes or receive dole outs. That’s why I’m encouraging fellow PWDs to register, be counted and become responsible citizens,” Laudenorio said. The National PWD Voter Registration Day set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Iloilo City last August 11 saw 69 PWDs registering or revalidating their voter’s registration forms. (Tara Yap)
EDUCATION SUMMIT
LILOAN, Cebu — With the theme “It takes a village to educate a child,” the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) recently hosted an education summit here to raise awareness on the current system of education in this locality and encourage support from the stakeholders for improving education outcomes. Participants in the one-day activity were representatives from the business and religious sectors, Department of Education (DepEd), students and out-of-school youths, parents, officials from the local government unit of Liloan, among others. (Phoebe Jen Indino)
GOVERNOR’S APOLOGY
ILOILO CITY, Iloilo—Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. apologized for overlooking the peace and order situation of Iloilo province during his second State of the Province Address (SOPA) last Aug. 8. “We are very sorry that we overlooked reporting to the people of the province the crime situation,” Defensor said. It was First District Provincial Board member Gerry Flores who pointed out Defensor’s omission of the peace and order situation. However, Defensor emphasized that the province’s peace and order has improved based on statistics from Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO). Crime solution efficiency increased to 42.95 percent for the period of January to June, 2012 from 42.31% of the same period of last year, and 19.49 percent in 2010. (Tara Yap)
DUMAGUETE CITED
DUMAGUETE CITY (PIA) – The National Nutrition Council in Region 7 (NNC-7) has awarded the septage facility in Barangay Camanjac here as the Best Innovative and Good Nutrition project in the region during a regional event held Aug. 3 in Cebu City. The wastewater treatment facility here earned the recognition of being a world-class low-cost septage management system during the 2012 Grand Nutrition Awards and 8th Regional Nutrition Action Officers Congress. City Nutrition Action Officer Lourdes Taburaza received the plaque of recognition in behalf of Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria.