Hydrophonics gardening for Pantawid clients in CV

By: Minerva BC Newman

CEBU, Jan 01 (PIA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-7) in Central Visayas inked recently a memorandum of agreement for the capability training of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries on Hydrophonics gardening.

DOST-7 ARD for Technical Operations, Ed Paradela said this is the agency’s response to the MDG call of poverty alleviation which is also DSWD’s thrust.

Paradela said, the DOST will provide the necessary assistance towards sustainable livelihood to DSWD clients starting with the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries learning Hydrophonics gardening.

DSWD-7 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program coordinator Aileen Lariba on the other hand stated that rapid urbanization goes with rapid increase in urban poverty.

Lariba added that most cities in its rapid intention for growth soon found out that their own constituents are unable to have stable employment opportunities for the poor. 

“They also have increasing problems with the disposal of urban wastes, waste water and maintaining air quality,” she said.

Lariba shared that as DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilya finds ways on how to help the poor cross poverty threshold, the MOA with DOST is part of the convergence strategy among government agencies to equip the beneficiaries with capability trainings on anti-poverty programs.

According to Paradela, Hydrophonics is also known as urban gardening and it requires very mininal space, minimal or no use of soil and productive reuse of urban wastes such as styropores and plastic containers. 

Lariba cited the high cost of food production and distribution that are based on rural production and imports causing the increase in prices.

“With Hydrophonics technology urban poor can now have access to nutritional produce easier, cheaper and faster since this would decrease food shortage, enhance urban environmental management neutralizes the lack of purchasing power of the poor,” Lariba noted.

DSWD-7 regional director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre bared that barangay Sawang Calero in Cebu City was chosen as the pilot area because it is situated in one of the highly urbanized depressed area of the City.

“The beneficiaries themselves expressed their need to learn alternative vegetable gardening as their response to the threat of malnutrition,” said Macapobre.

Teresa, a mother of 4 in barangay Sawang Calero said, “Naglaum mi nga dili lang ang pagkaon ug utanon ang tubagon sa among pagkat-on aning Hydrophonics apil na usab ang posible nga panginabuhian nga mutabang sa among inadlaw-adlaw.” (We are hoping that Hydrophonics gardening does not only answer our need for food but also as a means of livelihood and source of our daily income).

Food security and healthy nutrition is probably the best assest hydrophonics technology has to offer, revealed DOST-7 ARD Paradela.

Studies show that growing your own food saves household expenditures on food since most poor generally spend 50-70% of their income on food.

“Growing vegetables therefore saves money as well as selling it brings in cash. Urban agriculture is indeed an important strategy for poverty alleviation and social integration, Paradela commented. 

It also contributes to the urban ecological system and can play an important role in urban environmental management, DOST added.

According to DSWD-7 this move also supports the beneficiaries’ greening and cleaning program because it turns derelict open spaces into green zones turning it into productive green spaces.

“It does not only clean the unhealthy and dirty areas, it also enhances community self-esteem in the neighborhood and stimulate other actions for improving the community's livelihood and household income,” Lariba said. (mbcn/PIA-7 & DSWD-7/al)

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DSWD-7 offers more livelihood grants to Pantawid beneficiaries

   

CEBU CITY December 30 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 recently released almost P 800,000 to 11 Self Employment Assistance – Kaunlaran (SEA-K) Associations in the towns of Jimalaud, Tayasan and La Libertad in Negros Oriental.

About 155 beneficiaries of the DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in Negros Oriental received the P796, 000.00 said seed capital. Through this amount, the recipients will be given the opportunity to put up their small business and earn income from their various small business undertakings..

Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo along with DSWD 7 Assistant Regional Director Nemia Antipala graced the occasion and turned over the said amount to Pangalwan, Pantao, Camand, Bayhill, Palaslan, Maloloy-on, Kauswagan, Mapalaslan, Mambulod and Manghulyawon SEA-K Associations.

To date, the DSWD-7 has shelled out P5.136 M in seed fund for 952 Pantawid SEA-K beneficiaries in the province of Negros Oriental .

Antipala announced during the recent turn over ceremony that another P 8.5 million is expected to be released particularly to the 1,239 Pantawid beneficiaries in Negros Oriental before yearend.

The SEA-K program is one of the national government’s priority agenda to fight poverty which lends poor Filipino households as much as P10, 000 as start-up capital for livelihood projectsor small business, without interest and payable within a year.

The program also prioritizes beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program to further help them become independent and self sufficient even after the conditional cash transfer ends.

Before availing of the financial grant, the SEA-K beneficiaries underwent training on business management to ensure that they can return the amount granted to them after a year. (FCR/Amor Saludar/PIA-Cebu with DSWD-7 Jaybee Binghay)

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Cebu province pushes for ordinance creating

the Prov’l Disaster Risk Reduction Council

by Amor Saludar

CEBU CITY December 30 (PIA) -- The Cebu Provincial Government pressed for the immediate approval of the ordinance creating the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).

Authored by Provincial Board Member Thadeo Ouano, the ordinance is basically aimed for the province to have its own PDRRMC to immediately address and provide solutions especially financial assistance to victims of disasters and calamities.

Ouano said the PDRRMC will be tasked to draft plans on the appropriate measures the community should adopt during the occurrence of calamities like floods, landslides, fire or any environmental threat for that matter.

Vice Governor Agnes Magpale in a radio interview expressed optimism that the ordinance would be approved without delay as soon as the provincial board resumes its regular session next year.

Under the law, all local government units are mandated to have its own Disatser Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Magpale also stressed that the approval of the ordinance is very significant since this will include the budget allocation to implement programs related to disaster preparedness and precautionary measures in times of disasters. 

Currently, the provincial government’s basis of giving assistance to calamity-stricken areas solely depends on the executive order of Governor Gwen Garcia and the declaration of the affected places as areas of state of calamity, Magpale declared. (FCR/AS/PIA-CEBU)