BACOLOD City – Nine local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental have been tagged as “poverty-stricken” based on survey results presented during the last quarter meeting of the Provincial Development Council yesterday morning.
These are the municipalities of Binalbagan, Calatrava, Candoni, Cauayan, E.B. Magalona, Hinigaran, Hinoba-an, Ilog, and Isabela.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the survey results will guide LGUs on how to deal with the situation.
For its part, the provincial government, according to Lacson, has a general budget that could be used to augment areas that need help.
The LGUs can also seek assistance from the national government, he added.
Lacson pointed out that poverty alleviation is one area they are focusing on, such as conducting a feeding program that is being implemented in the town of Don Salvador Benedicto.
However, the governor noted that poverty is not only about malnutrition in an area but also about the lack of steady means of livelihood for the locals. And one way to address this, he said, is by granting scholarships.
The provincial government recently signed another agreement with SciTech Integrated Academy in Cebu, where the province’s school youths will be trained and allowed to work in the export processing zone. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
