IPs get food packs from DSWD’s Food for Work

By Pilar S. Mabaquiao

Tuesday 14th of August 2012

SAN JOSE, Antique, Aug 14 (PIA) -- Indigenous communities from the different towns of Antique availed of food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) under the Food for Work Program.

DSWD-6 Regional Director Minda B.Brigoli distributed the food packs to the indigenous people (IP) locally called “Tumandok” during the Provincial Indigenous People’s Day in Antique on August 9.

About 350 families availed of food packs containing rice, noodles and canned goods to support poor IP families these lean months especially those affected by monsoon rains last week, said Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Lazaro Petinglay.

Recipient families, Petinglay said, will do work in their community such as community clean-up, beautification, tree planting and other activities in their locality.

Both Brigoli and Regional Director Alfonso B. Catolin of National Commission on Indigenous Peoples assured IP communities that the government is committed towards helping their sector attain empowerment and for them to avail of government services.

Vice Governor Rosie Dimamay on the part of the Provincial Indigenous Council said Antique has about 20,000 IPs, some of whom are not recorded in the profile of NCIP and located in the towns of Anini-y, Tobias Fornier, Hamtic, San Jose, Sibalom, Valderrama and Laua-an.

Dimamay said many things still need to be done for this sector; the provincial government is very much willing to partner with non-government organizations and national government agencies to support them with their needs.

In fact, Sangguniang Panalawigan Member Edgar Denosta has proposed to include an IP representative in the Provincial Development Council wherein Governor Exequiel B. Javier also agreed to support this move during the program.

This year’s Provincial IP Day bears the theme “Kauswagan kang mga Tumandok, Padayunon agud kauswagan kang Probinsya maagum.” (JSC/MLG/PSM-PIA6 Antique)