ILOILO CITY (PNA) - Ilonggo leaders here laud the move of President Benigno Simeon S. Aquino III's for continuing pro-poor projects like the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P's), which is a conditional cash grant given to the poorest of the poor Filipinos, despite such program being started by the previous administration. Iloilo Fifth District Board Member Nielo C. Tupas said the President's move to continue such pro-poor projects "benefits a huge volume of our needy people." Tupas' view is concurred by Iloilo Second District Board Member June S. Mondejar who praised President Aquino for "recognizing the value of the 4Ps program and his move to even expand it in his administration. It is a big help to poor families in Iloilo because cash is directly given to program beneficiary families." The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Office 6 informs that the 4Ps has been extended by the Aquino administration to 43 municipalities and 10 cities in Western Visayas.
It also now covers 411 barangays with 48,704 beneficiaries. The 4Ps program is a conditional cash transfer program which entitles each of a family beneficiary's three children P300 per month educational assistance and an extra P500 for the family beneficiary's children's health needs. Thus, each beneficiary family gets a total of P1,400 cash per month. In the previous month of July to August 2010, the 4Ps beneficiary families were also able to receive a sack of rice each, the cost of which was shouldered by the DSWD and released through the Philippine Red Cross as support due to the adverse effect of the El Niño phenomenon. Ceasefire on Helmet Law DUMAGUETE CITY (PNA) - With or without the Implementing Rules and Regulations, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has declared a "ceasefire" in the enforcement of the national helmet law in Dumaguete and in Negros Oriental in general, because of the Buglasan Festival this month. This was announced by LTO-Dumaguete Chief Roland Ramos during a public hearing last Friday on the pros and cons of the helmet law implementation. Ramos said they have an agreement with the Buglasan Committee not to implement the controversial law while the province is celebrating the festival this October. He said if the IRR arrives anytime this week, these will still go through information dissemination and will not yet be implemented. Meanwhile, a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) representative said during the public hearing that standard helmets are already available in different motorcycle shops in Dumaguete.
At least three helmet brands with ICC marks are available after passing through DTI regulations and standards set by law. These helmet brands include Index, Posh, and Soul, among others.
