Butuan City – Caraga becomes a recipient of an international grant once again as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) finalizes a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Spanish government and three local government units (LGUs) here this month to complement the implementation of Pantawid Pamilya

Now on its seventh and final year of implementing the community-driven development (CDD) project PODER, Agencia Espanola Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID) will be giving a new grant of P12,400,000.00 for development projects in the region, according to Regional Project Coordinator Elsa D. Montemor.

The municipalities of Sta. Josefa, Agusan del Sur;Tubajon, Province of Dinagat Islands; and San Agustin, Surigao del Sur will benefit from this Spanish grant which will cater primarily to the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries.

“As the number of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries DSWD is supporting increases, so does the need for the additional supply side of the program,” Montemor said.

The implementation of Poder 7 in the region is aimed at improving the community’s access to basic health and education services.

“Aside from providing capability-building training to empower the volunteers and beneficiaries, the community will also build infrastructure projects that should aid them in complying the conditions set by Pantawid Pamilya,” Montemor added.

Communities will be putting up sub-projects such as day care centers, health stations, and elementary and high school buildings during the one-year coverage of the grant.

“With a proven track record of implementing CDD projects in the country, we are very confident that our partnership with DSWD will deliver the intended results and help our countrymen in steering development for themselves,” Caraga Regional Technical Officer for AECID Lyca T. Sarenas said. ### (Social Marketing Unit)