Cash-for-work for IDPs gets underwaywealth

The Department of Labor and Employment in Northern Mindanao (DOLE) has allocated about P500 million worth of cashfor-work program to over 500 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of the Marawi conflict.

The DOLE-10, along with the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD), has begun its livelihood training for the 533 IDPs here in Cagayan de Oro City yesterday.

To avail of the program, an IDP is taught urban container gardening and eventually practice it in their homes.

“We will train them how to operate the Urban Container Gardening because they can use this skill even when they go back to Marawi,” Julius Pamisa, City Social Welfare and Development Commission Head said.

The 30-day training is being facilitated by CSWD personnel who are also responsible for conducting weekly monitoring, through a daily time record, of the participants.

“After 30 days, they must have a harvest of 30 whole pechay out of the 300 seeds we gave them,3 kilos of Kangkong, and 10 seedlings of each variety of crops such as pichay, kangkong, okra, string beans, cucumber, etc., that will be given by CSWD planted in some used cups,” Pamisa said.

Their harvest, Pamisa said, will then be sold in front of the City Hall for their additional income, aside from the salaries they receive from gardening under the cash for work program.

A certificate will be given to those that are outstanding urban gardening trainees.

“That way, they will eventually teach or implement our urban gardening program in Marawi when they get back, to continue their livelihood,” he added.

Nida Dimampao, 49, one of the evacuees who is now staying at her relatives' residence at Agora, Lapasan, said the program is a big help for them who are homeless and jobless as of the moment.

“Malaking tulong itong magtraining kami galing sa DOLE kasi doon sa Marawi, nagsuffer kami for how many days wala kaming kain, ngayon dito nagsusuffer pa rin kami pero mas OK na dahil sa mga tulong na natatanggap namin,” she said.

The 542 IDPs are classified in 4 batches; from Batch I: Balulang; 38, Carmen; 83, Bulua; 10, Mambuaya; 8, from Batch 2; Oro, 54; Kauswagan, 29; Patag,1; Indahag,4; Camaman-an,16; P.S. Catanico,1; from Batch 3; Puerto, 10; Brgy. 35, 16; Cugman, 16; Bugo ,3; Gusa, 9; Nazareth, 50; Brgy.32, 3; from Batch 4; Macabalan, 44; Consolacion, 9; Macasandig,29; Puntod,14; Brgy.31, 34,;Iponan, 6 and 48 interns.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority-Misamis Oriental (Tesda-Misor) also earlier offered about 900 livelihood slots for the IDPs.

Tesda provincial director Leo Velez said Tesda has allocated P100 million budget for the IDPs' livelihood, and P45 million of the budget is ready for release.

“We envision that the products of these long-term opportunities can help in the rehabilitation of Marawi City. President Duterte already allocated an amount for the rehabilitation of Marawi, but we also need not overlook the human infrastructure,” he said.