MANILA - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday announced that 150 more shelters are set to be constructed for families situated in conflict-affected and vulnerable areas in Zamboanga Sibugay province. This, after the DSWD turned over last Thursday the first 50 shelter units to qualified beneficiaries from Barangay Sto. Niño in Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay. As part of the continuing efforts for the government's peace agenda, the DSWD together with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), Zamboanga Sibugay Province, local government unit of Tungawan, and Barangay Sto. Niño inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the construction of said additional shelter units this year. DSWD Undersecretary for Inclusive-Sustainable Peace and Special Concerns Cluster Alan Tanjusay said the completion of the 50 Modified Shelter Assistance Project (MSAP) units, under the PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) program, was a result of the collaborative efforts of the concerned government agencies, the local government units (LGUs), and the beneficiaries, and through the simultaneous implementation of the DSWD cash-for-work program. 'The beneficiaries of the shelter were engaged by the DSWD to construct the shelters and were paid the minimum daily wage of the region, while other complementary goods and services were given by the LGUs,' Tanjusay said. During the event, a Serbisyo Caravan was organized by the local government, in partnership with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Department of Health (DOH), among many other agencies, to provide other services and assistance to attending beneficiaries. The caravan is set to be held at least once a month in the area to ensure that basic services remain accessible to these communities. The ceremonial turnover ceremony and MOA signing were attended by Tanjusay; Assistant Secretary Arnel Garcia; DSWD Field Office 11 Regional Director Riduan Hadjimuddin and DSWD Disaster Response Management Bureau Division Chief Imee Castillo. Also present during the event were Zamboanga Sibugay Governor Ann Hofer; Tungawan Mayor Carlnan Climaco; Sto. Niño Barangay Captain Luis Apolinario; OPAPRU Western Mindanao Unit Peter Cheng; and representatives from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office of Tungawan. 'The DSWD commits to work with other concerned agencies and local government units to ensure that the PAMANA Program, as the government's priority program for peace negotiation, will continue to contribute to the goal of attaining a just and lasting peace,' Tanjusay said. (PNA)
Source: Philippines News Agency