P130-M set for special projects in Pampanga

By George Trillo

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga– The Department of Social Welfare and Development has allotted close to P130 million special project augmentation funds for Pampanga which would benefit thousands of senior citizens, farmers and fisherfolks, malnourished children and landslide victims in the province.

The amount came from the national budget approved by President Benigno Simeon Aquino.

This was announced by Gov. Lilia Pineda during a recent program launching and distribution of the social pension for senior citizens jointly sponsored by the provincial government and the regional office of the DSWD in Central Luzon headed by Director Adelina Apostol.

Pineda acknowledged the P127,698,905.00 special project augmentation funds which the Aquino administration recently granted to the province which would greatly benefit needy sectors.

“This is a continuing project of the national government which would surely benefit our constituents, and in behalf of the provincial capitol officials, I would like to thank the President, DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman and Director Adelina Apostol,” the governor said.

Together with Apostol, the governor distributed P1,500 each to the 894 qualified senior citizens from various municipalities of the province as their social pensions for the first quarter of this year.

A total of P5,364,000 funds were allocated for the social pensions of qualified senior citizens in the province this year, Apostol said.

She added P45,930,835 was allocated for supplemental feeding of 28,171 malnourished children in various municipalities of the province from June to December this year.

In a related development, rice subsidies through the cash for work program amounting to P22,044,022.00 were allocated by Pineda to 7,007 farmers and fisherfolks.

The governor said that the said program would run for 11 days from May to June during which the beneficiaries would be receiving P286 each per day of work rendered for their rice subsidy.