SURIGAO DEL NORTE – In a significant inter-agency meeting at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City, Secretary Gatchalian expressed, “The national government will reinstate governance in the area. Life and governance must continue within the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc premises.”
Secretary Gatchalian further disclosed that a composite team, comprising personnel from the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd), and the DSWD, will be assembled to collect essential data concerning the health and literacy levels of children, expectant mothers, and nursing mothers within the Socorro complex situated in Sitio Kapihan, Socorro town, Surigao del Norte.
These foundational data, as outlined by the DSWD chief, will encompass the literacy status of children to enable proper educational intervention, immunization records for monitoring malnutrition, and other health-related initiatives.
“These data will form the cornerstone of the government’s approach to effectively addressing the livelihood, health, and educational needs of the Socorro Bayanihan members,” Secretary Gatchalian emphasized.
Under the guidance of DOH, the DSWD will supervise the human development component through its Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI CIDSS) program. This initiative will encompass the establishment of educational and healthcare facilities in the area as part of the KALAHI-CIDSS infrastructure project.
In addition to the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) TUPAD program (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced workers), the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood program (SLP) and Cash-for-Work program will be employed to offer livelihood opportunities to the residents of Socorro.
Secretary Gatchalian stressed, “The DSWD’s objective, through collaboration with other government agencies, is to reinstate the quality of life in the area with dignity through improved livelihoods, healthcare, and education.”
According to DSWD data, a total of 909 households, comprising 3,184 individuals, are listed as members of the Socorro Bayanihan Services, Inc. Among these individuals, 1,173 are minors, with 554 females and 619 males, while 1,967 are adults, consisting of 980 females and 987 males.
During the inter-agency meeting attended by representatives from the DepEd, DOLE, DOH, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Gawad Kalinga (GK), Secretary Gatchalian emphasized the implementation of a national approach to improve the human life index of Socorro’s members.
As part of the program, child psychologists from the DSWD will provide further assistance to child victims, particularly in the agency’s parent effectiveness program, to help them reintegrate into normal life. The DSWD has also enlisted the support of Gawad Kalinga to help inculcate the necessary values and accelerate the coping mechanisms of the victims. Adult victims will receive training from TESDA, while those who have not yet registered will receive support from PSA regarding their birth and marriage certificates. (DSWD)
