City social welfare office serves 26,228 residents

ORMOC CITY, Philippines  — More than 26,000 residents in this city were served by the social welfare and development office in 2010, a report from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) stated the other day.

Marietta Legaspi, chief of the CSWDO, in her report stated that the marginalized sector was the major recipients of the services. "These are the senior citizens, persons with disabilities, women, children and youth", she said, adding that those served comprised 14.21 percent of the 184,521 population of the city. 

Among the social services extended by the city government, which she said were done with the support of Mayor Eric Codilla, was the educational program that put 3,064 children in 104 day care centers.

Some 177 children in conflict with law were also assisted on top of another 269 children and youth who were provided educational financial assistance for being under the "low income family" or in the poverty level. The CSWDO, in its non-formal computer education program known as Sharing Computer Access Locally and Abroad (SCALA) also trained 48 out-of-school youths, and livelihood trainings.

The CSWDO also reported that it provided musical and band instruments to the Pag-asa Youth Movement (PYM) and conducted feeding activities to various barangays, but it did not indicate what effect it had on the city government's drive to reduce malnutrition of children.

Of the 26,228 Ormocanons who availed themselves of social services, 8,000 of them were senior citizens who were given IDs by the Office of the Senior Citizen's Affairs and 68 persons with disabilities.

Legaspi further said that 12,000 PhilHealth cards were distributed to poor people, wed in mass 149 couples, and served 90 others for the Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran program of the city.

Legaspi also made it clear that report did not even include the indigents who were granted emergency assistance for medicines and hospitalization amounting to between P1,500 and P3,000 a client, and even burial assistance. (FREEMAN)