MALAYBALAY CITY (PIA)—In an effort to help people earn a living this time of pandemic, the city government of Malaybalay provided temporary employment to 3,000 beneficiaries in the city’s 46 barangays.

The qualified beneficiaries are members of the indigenous peoples (IPs); Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps); poorest among the poor; families with vulnerable members such as PWD, solo parents, senior citizens; former rebels, and those drug users who submit themselves to authorities toward a voluntary community-based approach under the Yakap Bayan Program.

After rendering work for 10 days, each beneficiary received P274 per day, which is 75 percent of the prevailing daily wage rate determined by the National Wage and Productivity Commission.

The identified wage-earners worked in communal gardening and tree-planting projects—including Tree-park caring—in order to achieve the city’s goal of reducing the disruptive threats and impacts of a natural disaster in the barangays, especially in areas tagged as disaster-prone.

The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) record showed that Malaybalay local government has released recently more than P8.2 million for the ‘Cash-for-Work’ program in accordance with the guidelines set by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Supervised by the barangay council, with the CSWDO, the project intends to provide food security and economic augmentation to low-income families in order to cushion the impact of COVID-19.

Amidst the coronavirus risks and concerns, the City Government of Malaybalay has been making every effort to carry out local programs related to climate change adaptation, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction. (Divina Rizza S. Paccudan, NADA-CSWDO/PIA-Bukidnon)