ALEOSAN, NORTH COTABATO – As part of ongoing efforts to address the early recovery needs of former internally displaced persons (IDP-Returnees) in Central Mindanao, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is expanding its partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) by committing to provide WFP with some 18,800 tons of iron-fortified rice for approximately 106,000 food-insecure families in Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, and Sultan Kudarat.
“We engaged the support of WFP for the implementation of early recovery activities in line with DSWD’s continuing comprehensive programme of assistance to IDP-Returnee populations due to the agency’s proven capacity and experience in carrying out similar food-based activities”, said DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman at a press conference in Aleosan, North Cotabato. “WFP has an on-going Food-for-Assets programme in Central Mindanao and was able to successfully replicate similar programmes for typhoon-affected families in Northern Luzon after Ondoy in 2009”, she added.
Showing posts with label dswd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dswd. Show all posts
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Code-NGO: Soliman, Deles are not accountable for the PEACe Bonds
Two Aquino cabinet officials being criticized for their alleged connection to the Poverty Eradication and Alleviation Certificates (PEACe Bonds) never participated in the controversial transaction, according to the NGO organization that conceptualized the PEACe Bonds in 2001 at a press conference in Quezon City this morning.
Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman and Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Secretary Teresita “Ging” Deles have been tagged by several personalities as the prime movers behind the PEACe Bonds deal.
However, the Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO), which received an endowment fund from the sale of the government zero coupon bonds, said the two government officials “were never involved and did not receive any compensation from the sale of the PEACe bonds.”
Code-NGO chairperson Anna Marie Karaos said that Soliman resigned as chair of Code-NGO in January 2001 when she was appointed as DSWD Secretary by former President Gloria Arroyo. She was hence no longer connected to Code-NGO when the idea of the PEACe Bonds was being presented to concerned government agencies such as the Bureau of Treasury and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Deles, on the other hand, was never a member, much less an official of Code-NGO. Karaos said they were actually wondering why Deles was being baselessly linked to the PEACe Bonds.
At the same press conference, The Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) was also explained to members of the media. PEF was established to preserve and manage the Php1.318 Billion endowment fund for poverty alleviation projects.
Veronica Villavicencio, executive director of the PEF, apprised the reporters on how the fund was being utilized for basic services, renewable energy, and microfinance endeavors in the country’s poorest communities. Most PEF projects are being implemented in rural areas in Mindanao and Visayas. "Information on how we have used the fund is reported regularly to our members and to the Securities and Exchange Commission and is available to anyone on our website", Villavicencio said.
PEF and Code-NGO, however, pointed out they cannot be held to account for the Php10.169 billion proceeds of the PEACe Bonds Auction which was paid to the Bureau of Treasury because it went to the “general funds” of the Arroyo administration. Sixto Donato Macasaet, Code-NGO executive director, said that only the Arroyo government could explain how the PEACe Bonds proceeds were utilized.
“The proceeds of the PEACe Bonds went to the general funds of the government. We could not suggest to them what to do with it because we just participated in the auction,” said Macasaet.
The Php10.169 billion that went to government coffers is different and separate from the Php1.486 billion that went to Code-NGO and PEF. "The Php10 bilion is government funds, while the Php 1.486 billion came from the sale of the bonds in the secondary capital market and are private funds", Macasaet added.
Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman and Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Secretary Teresita “Ging” Deles have been tagged by several personalities as the prime movers behind the PEACe Bonds deal.
However, the Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO), which received an endowment fund from the sale of the government zero coupon bonds, said the two government officials “were never involved and did not receive any compensation from the sale of the PEACe bonds.”
Code-NGO chairperson Anna Marie Karaos said that Soliman resigned as chair of Code-NGO in January 2001 when she was appointed as DSWD Secretary by former President Gloria Arroyo. She was hence no longer connected to Code-NGO when the idea of the PEACe Bonds was being presented to concerned government agencies such as the Bureau of Treasury and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Deles, on the other hand, was never a member, much less an official of Code-NGO. Karaos said they were actually wondering why Deles was being baselessly linked to the PEACe Bonds.
At the same press conference, The Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) was also explained to members of the media. PEF was established to preserve and manage the Php1.318 Billion endowment fund for poverty alleviation projects.
Veronica Villavicencio, executive director of the PEF, apprised the reporters on how the fund was being utilized for basic services, renewable energy, and microfinance endeavors in the country’s poorest communities. Most PEF projects are being implemented in rural areas in Mindanao and Visayas. "Information on how we have used the fund is reported regularly to our members and to the Securities and Exchange Commission and is available to anyone on our website", Villavicencio said.
PEF and Code-NGO, however, pointed out they cannot be held to account for the Php10.169 billion proceeds of the PEACe Bonds Auction which was paid to the Bureau of Treasury because it went to the “general funds” of the Arroyo administration. Sixto Donato Macasaet, Code-NGO executive director, said that only the Arroyo government could explain how the PEACe Bonds proceeds were utilized.
“The proceeds of the PEACe Bonds went to the general funds of the government. We could not suggest to them what to do with it because we just participated in the auction,” said Macasaet.
The Php10.169 billion that went to government coffers is different and separate from the Php1.486 billion that went to Code-NGO and PEF. "The Php10 bilion is government funds, while the Php 1.486 billion came from the sale of the bonds in the secondary capital market and are private funds", Macasaet added.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
UN World Food Programme Assists 250,000 Food-Insecure Persons Monthly in Conflict-Affected Central Mindanao
WFP, in close partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other government departments, is currently providing food assistance, through community-managed livelihood activities, on a monthly basis to 250,000 food-insecure persons in conflict-affected areas of Central Mindanao. These communities were previously displaced due to the upsurge in conflict in August 2008. Starvation is an extreme form of hunger and the prevailing situation in Mindanao, while requiring ongoing support to strengthen resilience, cannot be categorized as “starvation”. Food-insecure people are those who do not have sustainable access to food due to socio-economic reasons as well as shocks such as conflict and natural disasters.
WFP’s current programme of assistance in Central Mindanao is based on a Food Security Assessment that was carried out in January 2010, which highlighted food security constraints among internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to their places of origin. In line with government priorities, the main focus of WFP assistance is on “early recovery” activities in the IDP return areas.
Based on the recently-released 2010 Global Hunger Index, produced by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Philippines as a whole, ranks 34th out of 84 countries analyzed, with the 84th country having the worst hunger index. The Philippines has been classified as having a “serious” hunger index, as opposed to other countries in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa classified with “alarming” and “extremely alarming” hunger indices.
The Government of the Philippines is consolidating and expanding social safety net programmes aimed at enhancing resilience of the most vulnerable throughout the country, including in conflict-affected areas of Mindanao. WFP supports these efforts.
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