COTABATO CITY -- Closed circuit television cameras wil be installed in venues of upcoming payout activities of the Department of Social Welfare and Development–Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DSWD-ARMM) for its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) across the region to address alleged anomalous acts committed on the ground.
ARMM Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia, concurrent DSWD-ARMM chief, said the move is just one of the reforms she would be implementing in the agency on efforts to ensure the region’s delivery of social services to its constituents.
"Our target is to lessen substantially any form of corruption starting from the barangay level," Alamia told reporters here in a press briefing on Wednesday.
Barely three weeks on her current stint with DSWD-ARMM, she noted there were longtime complaints of irregularities before the office on the 4Ps implementation in the region.
“We would put a stop to this that is why there is this crackdown on the (4Ps) program on the LGU (local government unit) level,” Alamia said.
During an LGU assembly held in Sulu earlier this month, Alamia has ordered barangay officials, local chief executives, and school heads and superintendents to stop anomalies in the 4Ps implementation in their respective areas.
“If caught in the act, there is a reason for them to be arrested and charged,” she said.
More so, Alamia warned that government officials caught committing anomalous acts will be immediately removed from their respective posts to face administrative and criminal charges.
She said that same LGU assemblies would be initiated in other ARMM component areas soon that include the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-tawi and Basilan.
Alamia referred to last month’s directive issued by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, concurrent Martial Law administrator in Mindanao, which orders the closer monitoring of local chief executives in Mindanao for the full implementation of government programs in their respective turfs as basis for the reforms on the DSWD-ARMM programs.
“With the national government monitoring LGUs through the martial law directive, local executives would be committed to protect the rights of 4Ps beneficiaries through their presence and support,” she explicated.
Alamia said other DSWD concerns that needs urgent attention are on delayed 4Ps payments, social pension, and sustainable livelihood projects.
She said the DSWD – ARMM has tied up with PLDT-Smart for an infocast messaging system aimed at notifying beneficiaries on the agency’s programs’ updates, including 4Ps, and “for them to forward to us their complaints on the ground.”
“During payouts, we would also be taking photos of beneficiaries receiving their full 4Ps benefits as additional safeguard,” Alamia stressed.
To date, there are an estimated 411,000 “poorest of the poor” families in the ARMM where only some 300,000 families included in the 4Ps Conditional Cash Transfer package implementation.
Alamia said the difference of 111, 000 poorest families would be included in the Unconditional Cash Transfer program of the national government set for operation this year after the required survey and verification.
The DSWD-ARMM is operating on a PHP19-million budget this year, with their skeletal workforce relying much only on volunteers. (PNA)
