COTABATO CITY (April 26, 2024)- The Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) Minister Atty. Raissa H. Jajurie introduced their continuing services and new program under the Protective Services of Welfare Division in 2024 in the Bangsamoro region.
Minister Atty. Jajurie told in the MSSD’s radio and online platform program ‘Bangsamoro Muna: MSSD At Your Service’ heard every Saturday from 8 AM to 9 AM in some local radio stations in BARMM, that the budget in 2023 was around Php 3 Billion, but now it has increased by another Php 3.7 Billion, which will be used for various programs of the MSSD.
“Sa taong 2024 po, marami po tayong ipagpapatuloy na mga programa at may mga bago din po tayong programa, noong 2023 ang budget po natin is around 3 billion, ngayon po ay mas lumaki pa ng 3.7 billion at ito po ay gagastusin natin, gagamitin po natin sa iba’t-ibang programa ng MSSD,” she said.
The Protective Services of Welfare Division program includes the Family and Community Welfare Program (FCWP). The FCWP seeks to improve the well-being of poor and vulnerable families and communities in the Bangsamoro Region. The program targets to directly reach poor and near-poor individuals and households, and conflict-affected or vulnerable communities through its various social protection programs and services, skills enhancement, and advocacy activities.
The Ministry has designed Child and Youth Welfare Programs that intend to care for, protect, participate in, and rehabilitate children and youth in difficult situations.
The Ministry has also this Angat Bangsamoro: Kabataan Tungo sa Karunungan (ABK) Program the educational assistance for children from poor or low-income households that provides financial aid for indigent students to cover school-related expenses such as school supplies, books, school projects, and internet/data. The Ministry is implementing various programs to address the survival, development, protection, and participation needs of children, adolescents, and young people.
According to MSSD, it supported more than 80,000 learners of the child development centers (CDCs) and supervised neighborhood play (SNP) through the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP), capacity building of daycare workers, and the provision of early childhood care and development (ECCD) kits, and outdoor play equipment.
Another program is the Bangsamoro Sagip Kabuhayan provides livelihood assistance to qualified indigent beneficiaries is another program of the Ministry.
In the Older Persons Older Persons and Persons with Disability Program (OPPWDWP), the MSSD has also recognized the importance of caring for the elderly population in the region. Through the Hadiya Program for the Elderly, the Ministry aims to provide essential healthcare support to older persons, ensuring their quality of life and promoting their independence.
This program focuses on addressing the specific needs of older individuals, providing them with the necessary assistance and care they require. MSSD actively engages in mobilizing and strengthening regional structures for older persons. The Regional Senior Citizens Committee (RSCC) and the Office of the Senior Citizens Association (OSCA) work together to formulate policies, propose legislation, and implement programs and services to protect the rights and well-being of older persons.
The OPPWDWP, had this Hadiya Program for the Elderly Bangsamoro and Kalinga sa may Kapansanan Program, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Assistance Program (DRREAP), and the Women Welfare Program (WWP).
MSSD has a range of interventions for orphans, foundlings, abandoned and surrendered children including the Kupkop Program or the financial assistance for poor and vulnerable orphans. This program, which is the first of its kind in the entire country, provides orphaned children with the necessary financial resources that would give them access to balanced nutrition, education, a healthy lifestyle, and a secure and caring alternative care arrangement.
MSSD also provides subsidies for orphanages that pass MSSD’s licensing and accreditation processes. Other interventions include support for individual placements of orphans and technical assistance for orphanages.
In the Ministry’s social pension program for persons with disabilities, the Kalinga Para Sa May Kapansanan provides PWDs with monthly financial subsidies, is to augment the capacity of indigent persons with severe disabilities to meet their daily subsistence and medical requirements.
MSSD provides a comprehensive response to provide social protection interventions for older persons and persons with disabilities (PWDs) which includes the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, provision of assistive devices, skills training, organizing and strengthening local federations, and LGU strengthening and advocacy for the effective implementation of programs and services. (Sahara A. Saban, BMN/BangsamoroToday)
