DAVAO CITY – The provincial government of Cotabato has embarked on its annual year end province-wide relief program that will benefit at least 400,000 families in the province.
A MUSLIM woman in Kidapawan City receives a 10-kilo bag of rice from the provincial government of Cotabato on December 14. (Provicial government photo)
The provincial government has allocated P225 million for the program initiated by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
The program is one of the initiatives Gov. Emmylou “Lala” Taliño-Mendoza to extend aid to select beneficiaries in the province.
Mendoza hopes that through this modest initiative, the provincial government could extend help to less-fortunate constituents.
Also known as “Pamaskong Handog,” the first to receive assistance were at least 9,000 families from the initial 14 barangays of Aleosan town on December 12. Each family received at least 10 kilos of rice.
On December 14, the provincial government also extended the same assistance to at least 9,500 families from an initial five barangays in Kidapawan City.
Next week, another round of Pamaskong Handog will be held in other towns of the province.
Meanwhile, at least 1,000 select students from the University of Southern Mindanao-Kabacan campus received P5,000 cash educational assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-12 through the efforts of the provincial government.
DSWD-12 Director Loreto V. Cabaya Jr. and USM President Francisco Gil N. Garcia joined Mendoza during the distribution program at the USM Auditorium in Kabacan.
Mendoza reminded students to do well in their studies and finish school on-time.