Legazpi City—Some of the programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Bicol was cited by the latest report of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has contributed to Bicol’s fast economic growth of 8.9% last April 25, 2019 in a press briefing held in Legazpi City.

According to NEDA Regional Director Agnes Tolentino, DSWD Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) and Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan or PAMANA projects contributed to the fastest growth of the industry sector. She said that the industry sector recorded the fastest growth of 14.2 percent from 3.5 percent in 2017.

“In 2019, we expect that domestic demand will pick up as household consumption will likely improve with the Implementation of RA 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law that includes the implementation of the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT),” Dir. Espinas said.

Furthermore, Espinas inferred that improvement of household consumption will improve due to the increased cash receipts of income earners and real incomes of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries with lower personal income tax.

Both 4Ps and UCT are considered as social safety net programs of the DSWD to help eliminate poverty.

“The rest of the DSWS Bicol is happy with the progress we’re making to help the poor. The latest NEDA report affirms that our programs can fortify other government’s measures to uplift our people,” DSWD Dir. Arnel Garcia said.

In Bicol alone, there are 373,853 household beneficiaries under 4Ps in 2018. Under UCT, there 373,853 4Ps household beneficiaries, 195,107 Social Pension beneficiaries and 113,958 poor households (2018). The DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS completed 5,393 community-identified sub-projects from 2012 to present.

The DSWD Bicol was allocated a total budget of P 13.4 billion to implement its programs and services last 2018.