Fernandez banners social programs for Dagupan’s poor
FIRST 100 DAYS
WITH a projected budget deficit at the end of the year couple with the need to ensure critical services to her constituents, Mayor Belen T. Fernandez chose to focus on the delivery of more high impact social services targeting poorest of the poor, senior citizens, malnourished children and those without homes, persons with disabilities and others as her top priorities.
Fernandez underscored her priorities in her “First 100 Days” report to the city.
The improvement of the city’s feeding program in Day Care Centers that included continuous, organized and uninterrupted feeding enabled the city to earn P3 million fund assistance by the Department of Social Services and Development for another year of school feeding program.
The city’s feeding program also won the support of Unilever and Mead and Johnson in tandem with the CSI Group of companies for another 120-day feeding program for 300 school kids.
Meanwhile, civic clubs have responded to the call for more assistance for feeding programs for under-five kids. Among these are the Pangasinan Medical Society headed by Dr. Betha Fe Castillo, Inner Wheel Club of Dagupan headed by Dr. Arlene Sanchez, and Dagupan Jaycees headed by Ruby Laguit.
Funds were provided to enable the City Health Office to promptly provide medical care to 8,000 residents, dental care to almost 1,500 patients, treatment for 1,200 senior citizens.
The numbers represented 771 per cent increase compared to the previous administrations records over the same period last year.
Another major thrust is the delivery of services to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) that saw the referral of three persons to Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center, another three for medical interventions and provision of livelihood for 19 PWDs in sharp contrast to the previous administration’s zero activities.
Wheel chairs were also provided in partnership with the Church of Christ and Later Days Saints.
At the same time, Fernandez bared the increase of 4Ps beneficiaries in Dagupan from a low 2,274 on June 31,2013 to a high 3,323 on Sept. 2013.
Significantly, 90 4Ps mother-beneficiaries and students are now enrolled in sewing, cosmetology and food processing under the program Better Education for Livelihood and Employment Needs (BELEN) at the newly opened Livelihood and Training Center.
With P1 million from Rep. Manay Gina de Venecia under the Sustainable Livelihood Program, the trainees who complete the course will be given seed capital to start their own livelihood projects.
With the assistance of De Venecia, the city now sponsors 300 college scholars. The number is expected to be doubled soon.
The city, she said, maintains 43 Day Care Centers with 20 of these set for accreditation by DSWD in November. She said there are now 206 senior citizens involved in story telling to young children.
Fernandez also formed the Task Force for the Prevention and Protection of Street Vulnerables that eventually led to the rescue of 249 children from the city’s streets that included 172 from Dagupan. They were washed and fed and provided lessons in reading via the city’s newly launched Mobile Library while their parents were being counseled and trained.
Fernandez happily reported that through her personal intervention, some 300 informal settlers in Pugaro will soon benefit from onsite development to be launched on their property by the Soriano family.
Under her watch, the City Disaster Risk and Reduction and Management Plan was finally completed, was prepared for submission and approved by the Sanggunian.
She also activated the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council to focus on the city’s campaign against illegal drugs.
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