ILOILO City – First District board member Atty. Carmelo Nochete was formally sworn into office as the new regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VI in front of DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo at the DSWD-central office on Friday, Sept. 9.
Nochete succeeded the then DSWD-6 officer-in-charge Delia Bagolgol.
To recall, Bagolgol took the helm of the regional office when former regional director Ma. Evelyn Bihag Macapobre was appointed as the DSWD assistant secretary.
Nochete’s first priority as the new DSWD-6 chief is the ongoing educational assistance of the department, which is hounded by various concerns from applications to payouts.
“Ang bag-o bala subong or controversial nga educational assistance tutokan ta gid ina nga ma-implement sang maayo kag indi maggirinamo,” Nochete’s response after being asked in an interview with Panay News of his priority as the new regional director.
The educational assistance under DSWD’s Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) has already served a total of 27,561,000 students.
At present, Iloilo province, including Iloilo City, has the highest number of beneficiaries served at 9,135 with a total disbursement of P27.3 million; followed by Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, with 5,335 (P15.9 million); Capiz with 3,762 (P9.8 million); Aklan with 3,679 (P9.5 million); Antique with 3,237 (P8.8 million); and Guimaras with 2,132 (P5 million).
The educational assistance is intended for students in crisis enrolled this school year, including breadwinners; working students; children of unemployed parents; solo parents; overseas Filipino workers in distress; those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); orphaned, abandoned, or staying with their relatives; abused or displaced children; and victims of human-induced or natural calamities.
Qualified beneficiaries enrolled in elementary grades will receive P1,000; secondary students – P2,000; senior high school students – P3,000; and college/vocational students – P4,000.
Nochete also aims for the prompt implementation of programs and projects by the DSWD-central office in Region 6.
“Himuon nga madasig ang pagserbisyo kag makabatyag sila sang pag-ulikid sang maayo. Tanan ina nga programs sang DSWD kinahanglan naton implement,” added the regional director.
He also seeks the cooperation of the department’s employees and the residents and said that, given his background in politics, he is somehow an “outsider” in DSWD, which is why he enjoins everyone’s help in service to the people.
WHO WILL REPLACE NOCHETE AS BOARD MEMBER?
According to Nochete himself, he still has no idea who his party will nominate to fill the seat as a board member in his district.
Meanwhile, according to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Iloilo provincial director Teodora Sumagaysay, the new board member will come from LAKAS-CMD.
“The nominee should come from the same political party of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan who caused the vacancy. So, kon ano ang political party ni Nochete dira man maghalin ang nominee,” explained Sumagaysay.
Together with First District board member Marcelo Valentine Serag, Nochete belongs to the LAKAS-CMD political party.
There will be no election process in selecting the new board member who will replace Nochete, only the name of a nominee to be submitted by the political party.
Before assuming the post, the nominee should secure a certification of membership and nomination from the highest official of the LAKAS-CMD-national level./PN
