Koronadal City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Field Office XII (DSWD-FO XII) met and dialogued with an estimated 1,000 protesters who rallied at the Regional Government Center  yesterday.

The protesters were demanding for 15,000 bags of rice to be distributed to the provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Saranggani, and General Santos City as a result of the El Niño phenomenon in these areas.

The protesters also demanded to meet with the Provincial Governor of South Cotabato to personally  deliver their demands.

Upon the instruction DSWD–FO XII Regional Director, Bai Zorahayda T. Taha, the FO staff, headed by Ms. Norhata C. Benito, immediately consulted with South Cotabato Governor Daisy Fuentes to allow them to have a dialogue with the rallyists.

With the Governor’s approval, the FO XII staff met with the protesters to inform them of the assistance that were given to the affected communities in Region XII since 2015 through Cash/Food-for-Work (C/FFW) and to discuss effective strategies to provide a platform for peaceful response to the demands of the protesters.

The rallyists agreed to study the options given to them by the DSWD-FO XII for the rice distribution scheme in their respective areas.  The DSWD is committed to assist the protesters and to provide them the requested rice assistance at their respective places of origin.

To facilitate targeting and determination of beneficiaries and proper and timely distribution of food assistance, DSWD Undersecretary Vilma B. Cabrera  and  DSWD-FO XII officials and staff conducted a briefing with around 400 Provincial and Municipal Links of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), KapitBisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), and Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) in strategizing the validation of the number of affected farmers, particularly those outside of the El Niño Action Plan.

Moreover, the Regional El Nino Task Force also convened  to determine additional budgetary support for the rice requirements of the El Niño- affected communities.

Even before the protesters rallied in the city DSWD-FO XII had already repacked 25 kilos of rice per family.  Furthermore, DSWD -Central Office downloaded additional funding support for FO XII for increased and wider rice assistance coverage being requested by the affected local government units.

Along with the rest of the government, DSWD recognizes the urgency of responding to the situation of hunger affecting the poor in many parts of the country. ###