PROVINCIAL Social Welfare Development Officer Conchita San Diego last week said that it is but normal for Gov. Aurora Cerilles to travel around the province and see to it that her constituents receive the kind of public service they deserve.
San Diego’s words came after Mayor Domingo Mirrar was said to have commented that Cerilles was only making an impression in Lakewood when she visited six barangays there and talked with residents.
“Wala ba kaha maibog ang ubang lungsod nga ang atong pinalanggang governor naa na lang pirmi sa among lungsod? Gatuyok-tuyok sa among mga barangay nga gapasiugda kununay ug advocacy,” Mirrar was quoted to have remarked in his weekend morning radio program.
San Diego said that Cerilles can do what she wants since she is the governor of the province, aside from being the chairperson of the Provincial Advisory Committee (PAC), who oversees and leads in accomplishing the advocacy of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
The 4Ps is a flagship project of the national government in reducing poverty through investment in human capital.
A household-beneficiary can receive as much as P1,400 for a maximum of 3 children that includes P500 per month for nutrition and health expenses and P300 per month per child with a maximum of 3 children per household for educational expenses.
But for the program’s continuity in giving out the cash grants, household-beneficiaries must comply with certain conditions.
About 50,000 indigent families from Dumingag, Midsalip, Dinas, Sominot, Lakewood, Lapuyan, Tabina, Tigbao, San Pablo and Vincenzo Sagun have been targeted for 4Ps enrolment this year.
These people are part of the additional 319,671 households to complete the total of 699,016 target by the PSWDO.
San Diego added that Cerilles’ visits to Lakewood and in other towns where the 4Ps advocacy has been implemented is part of PAC activity where she sees to it that beneficiaries receive as well as comply with the conditions.
She likewise disproved rumors which said that the 4Ps was made a political tool by the governor who was said to have instructed that recipients should attend meetings or plant cassava and failure of doing so would mean deletion from the list of beneficiaries.
San Diego explains that being a national project, the provincial or local government cannot easily get rid of beneficiaries by deleting them from the list.
Meanwhile, a source from the Capitol said Mirrar was only making noises to gain mileage for his vice gubernatorial bid in next year’s elections.
REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA