TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Social Welfare and Development has allocated P547 million for Leyte under its Accelerated and Sustainable Anti-Poverty Program (ASAPP).
This was disclosed by Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla who said that the implementation of the program is expected to help address the worsening poverty situation of Leyte still reeling from the impacts of supertyphoon “Yolanda” that pummeled the province on November 8, 2013. Leyte’s poverty incidence rose dramatically after Yolanda’s wrath with half of its 1.5 million people living below poverty line. Petilla said that of the P547 million allocated for Leyte under the ASAPP, 90,078 poor families are to directly benefit the anti-poverty program of the government. The support for the livelihood activities of the families affected by the typhoon will greatly help and spur for the economic recovery of the province and help more than half of its 1.5 million population out from poverty, Petilla said.
Petilla said that alongside with this DSWD program, there are other several government agencies who are working together at present and are implementing their respective programs to combat against poverty and for employment generation. Petilla said that the identified lead economic livelihood and activities of this DSWD program, among others, are homegrown industries like the chicharon production in the town of Tunga and the peanut production in Dulag; hollow block production; port development, hot spring development and the eco-tourism in identified towns.
(RESTITUTO A.CAYUBIT)
