Panitan launches 'Pagkabalaka' program instead of fiesta
PANITAN, CAPIZ -- Mayor Katherine "Kit" Belo recently disclosed that because of the devastation that typhoon Frank has caused to her town, she and her municipal officials have decided to cancel all of the planned fiesta activities and frolic this coming August 10.
Instead, the municipality shall be purchasing prime commodities and will be selling them to their underprivileged constituents at subsidized prices. Panitan, an agricultural community, is basically dependent on agriculture as its main source of livelihood. With the devastation of the townspeople's crops, an impending food shortage is of utmost concern of the municipal administration.
The project, Pagkabalaka Program, will help alleviate the townspeople's situation and act as a safety net for the coming lean months. The project shall cluster barangays and will bring goods to them. Basic commodities such as ¼ raw sugar, 4 packs instant noodles and 2 kgs. rice amounting to P61 will be sold to them at P50. The project subsidy is P11 and funding for the project will come from the municipality's Calamity Fund.
Target beneficiaries are 50% of the total household population of Panitan which is 7,929 households. Hence, beneficiaries will be 3,963 households. Tickets will be given to the officials of Panitan's 26 barangays. In turn, their responsibility is to identify the qualified beneficiaries and distribute the tickets to them.
According to Mayor Belo, distribution days will be scheduled as follows: Municipal hall (Wednesday and Saturday), Brgy. Cabugao (Monday), Brgy. Concencia and Brgy. Tincupon (Tuesday), Brgy. Capagao (Thursday morning), Brgy. Banga-an (Thursday afternoon), Brgy. Enseñagan (Friday).