Mt. Province adopts DSWD secretary; named "Kadmali"

By Juliet D. Pilotin

Tuesday 22nd of May 2012

BESAO, Mt. Province, May 22 -- DSWD Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Juliano-Soliman is now a Cordilleran.

Clothed in the indigenous tapis and her head adorned with rare beads and snake vertebra, the DSWD Secretary will now be called “Kadmali” by her Cordillera siblings after the Provincial Council of Mt. Province passed a resolution adopting her as daughter of the province.

In the Mt. Province, Kadmali was known as a goddess who lived on top of a mountain and served as protector of and provider for the people.

The adoption rites were conducted during her recent three-day visit to the region to monitor DSWD programs and its convergence strategy for poverty reduction.

Mt. Province Representative Maximo Dalog Sr. in a municipal activity, honored the Secretary saying the DSWD head, “has steered programs that allowed a significant improvement in the lives of the poor.”

Meanwhile, the resolution adopting the Secretary highlighted the assistance of the DSWD for local government units in the implementation of various social protection programs.

The DSWD is currently implementing a convergence strategy that allows the complementation of its core poverty-reduction programs that include the conditional cash transfer also known as Pantawid Pamilya, the community-driven development program, and a sustainable livelihood program.

In response, Soliman expressed her gratefulness to the people of Mt. Province and their leaders for considering her as their own sister. She also acknowledged the resiliency of the people and their contribution to the success of the DSWD’s programs and services.

She said the agency is, “committed to providing programs that would empower and enable the poor people help uplift themselves.”

The Secretary made the rounds of DSWD project areas and attended community-based activities in the municipality of Besao. She also signed a memorandum of agreement with the municipal mayors of the towns covered by the expansion of the conditional cash transfer program.(PIA CAR/ RD Fernandez with Job Manalang-DSWD CAR)