JAEN, Nueva Ecija – At least P2.6-million worth of cash aid have been distributed in this town by the national government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Climate Change and Adaptation (CCAM) and Mitigation and Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) programs on Wednesday.

Mayor Sylvia C. Austria said the cash payout for the DSWD’s CCAM program amounted to P1.26-million, involving 400 poor beneficiaries who got P3,150 cash each which is equivalent to ten days of “cash for work” at P315 per day with each of them required to engage in backyard farming or vegetable gardening.

Austria described this cash-for-work program by the DSWD as somehow resembling the old adage with a different twist — “Ako ang nagtanim, umani at kumain pati na ang kumita at nagkapera” whereby the beneficiaries here literally reaped the fruits of their labor after sowing the seeds and harvesting the vegetables for their food and at the same time earning money for doing it.

Municipal social welfare officer Paperlyn U. Pablo said the local government unit’s initiative was supported by the Sangguniang Bayan with Councilors Sylvester C. Austria and Josephine C. Angeles, SB chair of social welfare and development, in attendance during the payout.

Prior to the payout, it was learned that the five paymasters from the DSWD regional office in Pampanga had to be swabbed first in compliance with safety and health protocols prescribed by the NE-Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19.

Because the LGU’s medical technologist was unavailable to do the swabbing, it was Councilor Austria, a lawyer and also a registered nurse, who did the swab-testing on them.

Austria said the payout proceeded with another P1.349-million in cash given to 95 beneficiaries of the DSWD’s ESA with each of them receiving P14,200. Austria said the 95 beneficiaries were those whose houses were totally damaged by Typhoon Ulysses.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Steve A. Gosuico