DSWD gives P5.3M to folks of disaster-prone Bontoc village

By Andrew Dogaong

BONTOC, Mountain Province --- Some 79 families of a disaster probe area due to landslides in the remote barangay of Caneo here were recently awarded checks worth P5.53 Million under the Core Shelter Assistance Projects (CSAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Former DSWD - Cordillera regional director Leonardo Reynoso and Bontoc mayor Franklin Odsey turned over the checks worth P70,000 each to beneficiaries to fund construction of their houses.

Houses of CSAP beneficiaries are located in dangerous locations as confirmed by the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Reynoso urged beneficiaries to cooperate and help each other in implementation of the project  to make it a model in Bontoc.

He attributed the successful implementation of CSAP in other municipalities of the province to cooperation of beneficiaries and support of local government officials.

The former director, who promoted to a higher position in their central office  said DSWD will be giving P2,100 each to the family-beneficiaries as food for work once they start implementing the project.

Odsey expressed the municipality’s gratitude to the Reynoso who is also an adopted son of Bontoc with an Igorot name “King-awa” for programs and projects his office extended to the municipality.

 In March, Reynoso turned over a check worth P1 million to Odsey to fund the sustainable livelihood project of the Bontoc Senior Citizens Association on eco-brick and eco-block making using residual waste.

Odsey told the CSAP recipients he allotted P250,000 for shelter projects which will be provided in terms of eco-bricks or eco-blocks to be used preferably in their sealed toilets.

 Caneo barangay captain John Hewan and Core Shelter Association president Junnifer Afaten expressed thanks to the DSWD director to mayor Odsey and other offices who worked  for inclusion of their barangay in the CSAP program.

The two village leaders committed to work for the successful implementation of the project as well as abide to their responsibilities as enumerated in the signed MOA.

Also present in the affair were DSWD assistant regional director for administration Francis Khayad, provincial disaster risk reduction officer Anacleto Tangilag who represented Gov. Leonard Mayaen, provincial Social Welfare and Development officer Rosalinda Belagan, DSWD members among others.