MORE NEWS, KALINGA

‘Late liquidation delayed ECCD project in Kalinga’
By Larry Lopez

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Projects for children in the province had been delayed due to non-liquidation of cash advances by recipient local government units until now.

This was found out by representatives from the Provincial Early Childhood Care Development Coordinating Council led by Gov. Floydelia Diasen who evaluated implementation of ECCD projects in Kalinga following reports of delay in completion.

The group, along with from the National Council for the Welfare of Children joined the probe.

Gretchen Curameng, PECCDCC secretariat member said the evaluation covered all components of the program from civil works, provision of facilities to barangay health stations and day care centers, supplemental feeding, mothers livelihood projects and assistance to nutrition program.

The civil works component of ECCD provides assistance to repair of barangay health station and day care center buildings.

It has the bulk in funding appropriation, programmed in all eight towns of the province with three pilot barangays per town.

Reports gathered showed in the province, of the 24 barangay health station projects, 12 have been completed, while 12 are still on-going.

Of the 24 barangay day care center projects, eight completed, six ongoing, while 10 are not yet implemented.

Probe members said this explained why some barangays can not start implementation of their respective day care center projects because those who were earlier awarded have not yet submitted their liquidations.

As a procedure, the CWC head office does not release the remaining funds, unless earlier releases have been properly liquidated.

The three-year ECCD program in Kalinga was launched in Oct. 2005, and expected to be completed in Oct. 2008.

Following this, the PECCDCC agreed to hold consultations with its formed task groups before starting work for the remaining implementation period to avoid similar lapses, Curameng said.

As first ECCD program area in the country, Kalinga got a total fund of P20.625 million. Eighty percent of the amount is provided by the National Council for Welfare of Children while 20 percent is the province’s counterpart.