GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 10 Dec) – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Region 12 has released a P93.8-million financial grant to the municipal government of T’boli in South Cotabato for the implementation of various peace and development projects in the area.
Josephine Leysa, DILG Region assistant director, said Wednesday such funding represents the first tranche or equivalent to 80 percent of the initial P117.35-million worth of approved projects in the area under the PAyapa at MAsaganang pamayaNAn (PAMANA) program.
She said the DILG central office had endorsed a total grant of P187.2 million under the PAMANA for T’boli town this year.
But she said the municipal government has only completed so far the documentary requirements for the P117.35-million component, which will cover for the concreting of barangay roads in the area.
The municipal government of T’boli also proposed for the construction of community peace centers, day care centers, trading centers and multipurpose buildings.
“We’re currently following up the requirements for the other projects as the funds have already been downloaded to the regional office and are now ready for release,” Leysa said.
The DILG central office has allocated a total of P258.5 million in grants for Region 12 this year under the PAMANA program.
The municipality of T’boli is the only beneficiary of the program in South Cotabato province for this year.
Of the approved grants, the lone district of Sarangani Province received some P58.8 million while the first, second and third districts of North Cotabato got P12.5 million.
PAMANA is the government’s program and framework for peace and development in areas affected by conflict and communities covered by existing peace agreements.
The program intends to provide communities with projects funded under the government’s stimulus fund to bring genuine peace and development.
It also aims to “reduce poverty, improve governance and empower communities in situations of conflict,” a project briefer said.
The projects that may be funded by the program include connectivity systems, basic services for economic development, agricultural services and industry investments, economic investments in indigenous people’s areas, disaster-preparedness and climate change adaptation interventions.
The fund may also be used as a source of subsidy for major projects of local government units with similar objectives and to finance detailed engineering design costs.
