‘Biyaya ng Pagbabago’ brings Duterte admin closer to grassroots
CEBU CITY – The “Biyaya ng Pagbabago” rollouts have been keeping the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte closer to the grassroots in the Visayas, said Doris Mongaya, its Visayas convenor.
She said several millions of pesos have already been shelled out for the benefit of the grassroots in the region. It began in Cebu City on April 21 and was followed in Talibon in Bohol and Iloilo City, and recently in Tacloban.
The Tacloban rollout included the distribution of housing awards. It was the fourth in the Visayas under the Biyaya ng Pagbabago. The rollouts at the Eastern Visayas State University in Tacloban also included the awarding of a P200,000 peanut butter processing facility to a farmers group, and a P200,000 eco-septic technology to the Rural Health Unit of Hilongos by the Department of Science and Technology.
Mongaya said 48 checks of P3,000 each were also awarded to the Special Program for the Employment of Students beneficiaries and 61 checks of P2,500 each had been given to the beneficiaries of the Government Internment Program of the Department of Labor and Employment.
In addition, 20 pedicabs were also distributed to deserving members of the grassroots communities in Eastern Visayas. The Department of Agrarian Reform likewise awarded 100 certificates of land ownership under the government’s agrarian reform program and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources gave out 10 fiberglass boats.
The Tacloban City Hall distributed 399 certificates of housing awards while the National Housing Authority gave out 50 certificates. The Biyaya ng Pagbabago is an anti-poverty program under the auspices of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary headed by Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. and the Office for Participatory Governance (OPG) headed by Undersecretary Joselito Libres, who also led the Tacloban rollout.
“Crucial to this grassroots program is the participation of pro-Duterte movement Kilusang Pagbabago that empowers grassroots groups to claim projects and programs of government agencies for their own benefit,” Mongaya said. “You will notice that we are not just pushing for job creation. We are for spawning entrepreneurship down to the poorest sectors.” (Luel Galarpe)
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