Atty. Michael Gerome Bellena, Human Resource Management and Development Division Chief and special disbursing officer, provides cash assistance to a beneficiary of cash-for-work program for persons with disabilities on Saturday, December 3, 2022 in Iriga City, Camarines Sur.

The Field Office V joins the nationwide simultaneous payout with the theme, “BUHAYnihan: Buhay at Bayanihan para sa Mamamayan,” as part of the celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities. To recognize the roles of PWDs in community development, the Department of the Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided Php 1,997,550.00 of cash assistance to 579 beneficiaries in Bicol Region on Saturday, December 3, 2022.

The payout was conducted in three (3) municipalities namely: Iriga City, Camarines Sur; Castilla, Sorsogon and Bombon, Camarines Sur.

In Iriga City, Undersecretary of Legislative Liaison Affairs Rowena Niña Taduran, Regional Director Norman Laurio, Assistant Regional Director for Operations Melchor Sañano and City Mayor Wilfredo Rex Oliva spearheaded the payout.

“This cash-for-work program for persons with disabilities is a way of the National Government in transforming their lives as this is just one of the many social programs intended in this special sector,” Usec. Taduran said.

The BUHAYnihan is a Cash-for-Work (CFW) program for Persons with Disabilities under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS).

The beneficiaries were selected based on the result of the assessment of Listahan or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction. To verify the result of the assessment, the Local Government Units conducted validation.

The identified beneficiaries worked for ten (10) days and received the regional daily wage rate of Php 345.00.

The specific community tasks undertaken by the beneficiaries were based on the assessment of LGU and consultation with the project beneficiaries, the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) and other stakeholders.

“Itong cash-for-work para sa mga PWDs ay nagbigay ng panibagong pag-asa para sa katulad ko kasi nabigyan kami ng chance na maipakita ang aming kakayahan na kahit kami ay may kakundian, may karapatan kami at may kakayahan na magtrabaho katulad ng isang normal na tao,” Maria Rizalda Candido, beneficiary of cash-for-work program noted.

(This cash-for-work program for persons with disabilities provided new hope for people like us because we were given a chance to show our abilities that despite our imperfections, we have the right and capability to work just like a normal person.)

The cash-for-work program for persons with disabilities will be implemented in 111 Local Government Units (LGUs) through fund transfer.