MANKAYAN, Benguet – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) gave recognition to Mayor Materno Luspian and other city and municipal mayors in the other parts of the country for their outstanding performance in the implementation of various social welfare programs that benefited their constituents over the past several years.
Luspian is ending his 5th term as the town’s local chief executive and his 2nd term as president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Benguet Chapter.
He was given the recognition as one of the Most Outstanding Mayors of the Philippines for effectively and efficiently implementation nationally and locally initiated social welfare programs benefitting senior citizens, persons with disabilities, beneficiaries of the government’s poverty alleviation programs, among other members of the marginalized sectors in the municipality that resulted to their improved status in society.
Mayor Luspian claimed that one of the locally initiated programs appreciated by the DSWD was the way the local government handled the distribution of the social pension for senior citizens where as soon as the funds were downloaded to the municipality, all beneficiaries will be gathered in the municipal gymnasium to attend a simple program that will coincide with the distribution of the benefits aside from local officials having direct interaction with the beneficiaries.
For those who cannot attend the occasion because of their inability to do so due to illnesses, Luspian reported that social welfare officers accompanied by barangay officials go to the residences of the sick senior citizens to personally deliver the social pension benefits apart from having a chance to check their condition.
Luspian is also one of the local chief executives in the country which was authorized by the DSWD through an agreement to receive and distribute the benefits of the social pension beneficiaries and the recipients of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
However, Luspian disclosed that this set up is no longer being practiced by the DSWD as the benefits of the social pension and 4Ps programs are now being distributed to the agency’s conduits, thus, the need for the agency to return to the old set up so that social welfare officers and local officials can continue having direct linkages with the recipients.
He explained that the gatherings organized by the local government for the recipients of the government’s two major programs were always at the expense of the municipal government providing them entertainment before they go back to their homes with happy remembrance of the fitting occasions organized for them.
Mayor Luspian stated it is good to establish close working relationships with the beneficiaries of the various programs of the government for the marginalized sectors for them to feel they belong to their communities and be regularly updated on the different programs and projects for them from the national and local governments.
Mankayan is a first-class municipality that derives most of its income from the operation of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMC).
By HENT
