TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) – To lessen the impact of the devolution of the programs of the national government to the local government units, the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) in Eastern Visayas has identified some fifteen (15) municipalities in the region which will receive a financial grant amounting to P200,000 each this year for the implementation of the population and development programs.

During the Regional Population and Executive Board (RPEB) meeting held Friday at Hotel Estrella, this city, Reyan Arinto, chief of the Technical Services of POPCOM-8 said the municipalities are Cabucgayan and Caibiran in Biliran; San Francisco, Tomas Oppus and Hinundayan in Southern Leyte; Merida, Julita, and Leyte in Leyte province; Quinapondan and Giporlos in Eastern Samar; Sto. Niño, Almagro and Jiabong in Samar; and Mapanas and Lapinig in Northern Samar.

As a prioritization scheme, POPCOM has established specific criteria for the provision of financial assistance.

The LGU must belong to 5th and 6th class municipality with high degree of potential impact of assistance particularly in addressing the high level of fertility among poor women and men, high incidence of adolescent pregnancies, low contraceptive use and high level of poverty and poor socioeconomic conditions.

“We prioritized the 5th and 6th class municipalities considering that these LGUs have no budgets for population and development program,” Arinto said.

POPCOM also sought the assistance of the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) to determine the income classification of the municipalities.

“Other criteria composed of a strong political support from the local chief executive and commitment to the PopDev program through counterpart and agreed institutional arrangements including commitment to the establishment of the local POPDEV office,” Arinto added.

Other areas that will be subject for localization this year are the provinces of Southern Leyte, Eastern Samar, and Biliran and the cities of Maasin in Southern Leyte, Baybay in Leyte, Catbalogan and Calbayog City in Samar province.

With the Mandanas Ruling, POPCOM-8 is strengthening its collaboration with the local government units in the region in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the agency following the approval of its devolution transition plan. (MMP/CBA/PIA-8)