THE head of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office
VI assured workers of the dissolved Negros Island Region (NIR) that nobody will be
displaced.
“Nobody will be displaced. That is what I can assure,” said Rebecca P. Geamala,
director, during today’s meeting of key staff of Region 6 and the abolished region.
It can be recalled that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte earlier issued Executive Order 38
reverting NIR to Western Visayas and Negros Oriental citing lack of funds.
“Indi kamo namon pabay-an. Ayuson namon na. (We will never abandon you. We are
going to take care of this),” said Geamala.
Geamala revealed that the close to 1,000 workers from NIR are now mostly back to
their mother regions. For Western Visayas, 453 are now back to the FO in Iloilo.
Project-based field workers assigned in Negros Occidental will also continue their
services until December subject to renewal of contract next year depending on their
performance.
“Work continues especially for our programs like Social Pension, Supplementary
Feeding, Pantawid Pamilya, Kalahi, Sustainable Livelihood Programs and other
community-based protective programs also continues. DSWD6 will be on top along
social welfare services for Negros Occidental,” said Geamala.
Meanwhile, Geamala directed that all Negros-based workers returned to Field Office VI
must ensure that they have signed contracts before they go to field work.
For the remaining three months of the year, the contracts of project-based field workers
will be signed by Geamala.
“While waiting for your contracts to be signed, you can just do office work. We don’t
want untoward incidents happening in the field and you do not have signed contracts
yet,” she said.
WORK DONE
Geamala said that the workers will have to think about the work that they have to get
done for the year.
“I expect you to have a very satisfactory or outstanding rating in view of your excellent
performance this 2017. Full support will be provided by the management,” she said.
Geamala added, “We rely on your capacity. I want to let you know that you are most
welcome in the Field Office.”/dswd6/May Rago-Castillo