JOEL P. MAPILES

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda took her oath of office yesterday as chairperson of Sectoral Committee on Social Development (SCSD) administered by Governor Wilhemino Sy-Alvarado, chair of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Central Luzon.

Governor Pineda will serve as chairperson of SCSD until June 2016 together with National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Severino C. Santos as vice chair.  The members are composed of the regional directors of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Commission on Population (Popcom), National Housing Authority (NHA), Ascot, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC, Pag-ibig, National Commission for Indegenous People (NCIP), National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC), Technical Education Skill Development Authority (TESDA), representative from LGUs, among others.

After the oath-taking, Governor Pineda immediately presided the 1^st Full Council Meeting of the SCSD held yesterday at NEDA regional office, Diosdado Macapagal Government Center in Maimpis, this city.

The agenda that were discussed are the DOH’s “Ligtas Tigdas” Program, DepEd’s Senior High School Program and Implementation Framework, 2014 Metrobank Foundation Search for Outstanding Teachers and SCSD Work Program and Action Plan for the fiscal year 2014-2016 based on the Pre-Organizational Meeting.

The vice chair said Governor Pineda is the personal choice of the RDC chair who admired the sterling performance of the lady governor whom he described as model in terms of social services and development in the whole of Central Luzon.

“The Sectoral Committee on Social Development is in good hands as the chair is known as the governor who walks her talk,” Governor Sy-Alvarado said.

Governor Pineda said she is happy with the active coordination and support of the DOH in Region for being supportive and active in the implementation health programs in the province – from attending to health needs of the poorest of the poor, construction of government hospitals, health centers, rural health units, birthing stations.

“This is being done under the able leadership of DOH Regional Director Leonita Gorgolon and the active participation of Barangay Health Workers in every barangay. The local officials and the  Kapampangans are thankful to DOH particularly to Secretary Enrique Ona and Director Gorgolon. And I am hoping that this is being equally done among the seven provinces of Central Luzon,” Gov. Pineda said.

Gov. Pineda said that with the implementation of Alaga Ka and Point of Care programs of Philhealth, thousands of poor Kapampangans are now enjoying the benefits of a secured healthy living with the zero balance billing policy implemented at public hospitals run by the national and provincial government.

The governor said she also discussed with Philhealth President Alex Padilla, DOH Secretary Ona and Senator Francis Escudero the provision of free Philhealth cards to Barangay Health Workers and barangay tanods in the whole country.

The governor said the provincial government has more than 2,000 college scholars who graduated with honors and it is giving financial assistance to those who want to pursue their college education.

“The ALS program of DepeED is very ideal as it is giving opportunity to school drop outs, out of school youths and out of school adults. Expect out 100 percent support to ALS program,” she said.

She said they support the K-12 which implements the  Senior High School program of the DepEd that ensures the teaching of technical vocational courses or subjects.

“After graduation of Senior High School students, they could be employed as they are 18 years old then and equipped with needed skills,” she said.

The governor said the DOLE is giving employment opportunities to unemployed, underemployed and in-school and out of school youths.

She said the local officials are thankful to DOLE for its Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES), provision of livelihood trainings and grants to those who want to become a small and big entrepreneurs.

The governor said there is a need for the cooperation of TESDA and the local government units in terms of provision of training facilities and equipment plus the training proper for those who want to undergo as TESDA trainees.

“The LGUs will provide the training facilities and TESDA will provide technical skills to trainees,” she said.

The governor urged the HUDCC and NHA to provide the local officials with the listing of unoccupied housing, foreclosed properties,vacant lots, government day care centers, clinics and health centers owned by the government.

“Through this, we could work together, as we need these facilities to better serve our constituents. We need not to construct, what we will do is only renovation that means less expenses for the government but the same amount of quality services to the people in need,” she said.

The governor wants to fully support the Aetas in Central Luzon through total make-over of their lifestyle.

“The Aetas deserve to have a decent living. They have their thousands of hectares of ancestral domains rich with natural resources. But they remain poor,” she stressed.

She said it’s about time, Aetas should enjoy descent life with the wealth they have in the mountains.

“It’s about time that they should open their ancestral domains with the investors in accordance with the existing laws on ancestral domain, that’s why the NCIP is there to assist the IPs.

Due to this, the governor vowed to provide building for the NCIP in the government center, so they could focus their services for the benefit of the indigenous people without thinking their rentals for the building which they presently occupied in this city.