SM Foundation Share Extras in Paracelis, Mt. Province 

by Alvin C. Tanicala, CIDSS Writer 

PARACELIS, MT. PROVINCE- The SM Foundation, Inc. in cooperation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed last May 10 some forty sacks (40) of assorted dry goods for more than 500 families in barangays covered by the Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (CIDSS) program under the Share Your Extras-Help a Family project.

The Share Your Extras- Help a Family project - a program urging stronger ties with non-government organizations - was initiated by Pres. Arroyo when she was the social welfare secretary.  In response to that call the SM Foundation, Inc. under business tycoon Henry Sy signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DSWD in 1999 targeting poor families in CIDSS covered barangays around the country as the prime benefactors of the program.

In a simple turnover ceremony at barangay Bantay, municipal mayor Paz Rafael stressed out the importance of community empowerment and the need to strengthen the partnership with non-government organizations in community development.   “Our municipality is very grateful for the efforts of SM Foundation and CIDSS in bringing these blessings to us. “ adds mayor Rafael.

In the Cordillera, the SM-CIDSS Share Your Extras- Help a Family project has already reached out to about 1,000 poor families in the provinces Kalinga and Mt. Province.  On its third year of implementation, the program has assisted some 10,000 families around the country.

Beneficiaries were chosen based on the Minimum Basic Needs (MBN) survey, a national monitoring tools used to track the level of poverty in poor communities, indicating the kind of assistance that the agencies and organizations need to provide.

The goods were transported from Manila to the province by the local government unit as their counterpart.  Municipal mayor Paz Rafael, assisted by SM Foundation Project Director Cristie Angeles and CIDSS-Information Officer Roberto Navida, led the distribution of goods.

For More Information Contact:

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