VICE President Jejomar C. Binay used his 2012 Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to provide senior citizens’ centers, scholarships, social services and medical assistance to indigent families especially in 4th to 6th class municipalities.
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) allocated P100 million for the construction or repair of 300 senior citizens’ center nationwide.
The centers serve as venues for assemblies, recreational and sports activities and medical missions for the elderly.
“Tungkulin ng pamahalaan na pangalagaan ang kapakanan ng bawat sektor sa lipunan. Makikitang napakarami ng mga proyekto para sa kabataan, maysakit, mahihirap, ngunit tila ba nahuhuli ang para sa kapakanan ng ating nakatatanda,’’ Binay said in a statement issued Saturday.
“Kung kaya, sa paghahanap ng sektor na maaaring pagtuunan ng PDAF ng aming opisina, ay minarapat kong ilaan ito sa kapakanan ng ating matatanda,’’ he added.
Binay’s office also allocated P18 million from the first tranche of its PDAF for its scholarship grant-in-aid program to poor but deserving college students.
The OVP, in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), currently extends a P9,000-annual educational assistance to 1,160 scholars.
The office aims to provide scholarship grants to 20 scholars for each of the 110 State Colleges and Universities nationwide. It also partnered with AMA Computer University/ACLAC/ABE, St. Jude College & Medical Center, Manila Central University, Manila Business College and University of Batangas to expand its scholarship program.
The OVP has also joined forces with the Technical Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and local government units (LGUs) to provide technical non-formal education training.
Meanwhile, the Vice President’s office also allotted P20 million from its PDAF to extend assistance to indigent families affected by typhoons and other calamities.
In 2012, the OVP distributed 161,868 bags of food items nationwide. Binay even personally led some of the relief operations that the OVP conducted.
Just recently, Binay flew to Mindanao to assess the damage and extend assistance to those affected by typhoon Pablo. The OVP gave away 5,000 bags of goods in Davao Oriental, Surigao del Sur and Compostela Valley.
The OVP and the city government of Makati also sent a team to conduct medical missions over two days in Monkayo, Compostela Valley and Cateel, Davao Oriental as part of continued relief efforts.
The team, composed of 19 doctors and three nurses, distributed 30 boxes of medicines that can cater to up to 3,000 persons, and provided psychological debriefing to the typhoon survivors.
The OVP and Makati government also jointly sent K-9 and rescue personnel to help in the retrieval of victims in Compostela Valley.
Meanwhile, Binay’s office earmarked P42 million to extend health assistance as well as purchase medical equipments for beneficiaries in 4th to 6th class municipalities.
“We want to reach out to our kababayans who could not afford to go to hospitals for their check up or to buy medicines,” Binay said.
“We intend to help especially those living in poor municipalities,” he added.
The OVP also allotted P10 million for livelihood assistance, and another P10 million for the purchase of school materials for indigenous people and students in calamity-stricken areas.
Congress provided OVP with P200 million in PDAF. The Department of Budget included the amount in the regular budget of Binay’s office.