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| Map of the Philippines with Ilocos Norte highlighted (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
LAOAG CITY—With the continuing implementation of Ilocos Norte’s cash-for-work program, hundreds of residents who are looking for additional source of livelihood are taking advantage of it.
In Vintar town, Arlene Rosario, a full-time mom of three growing children said was trying to figure what to cook for lunch when she learned a roving team from the Capitol Express was at the town’s gymnasium offering various government services.
Out of curiosity, she checked on the list of services and tried to apply for a cash-for-work, a continuing program of the Ilocos Norte government in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Initially, the program is meant for calamity victims. Then it expanded to marginalized earners or indigents.
For a few hours of rendering community service in their respective barangays, they receive cash based on the prevailing regional wages in their areas. Some of these community projects include cleaning of roads, collecting garbage and repairing community facilities among others.
According to Ms. Rosario, she was thankful she participated in the latest batch of 250 cash-for-work beneficiaries in Barangays Dipilat and Visaya both in Vintar, Ilocos Norte.
Earlier, the government allocated about PHP15 million for the continuing implementation of the cash-or-work program meant to generate local employment in the province. (Leilanie G. Adriano)