TIPO-TIPO, BASILAN – As the Bangsamoro Government continues to extend and expand its service delivery to the most vulnerable and marginalized sectors across the BARMM region reaching the farthest and geographically-isolated communities, the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), in partnership with the Provincial Social Welfare Office (PSWDO) of Basilan, is currently distributing rice assistance to indigent families in the said province.
Each beneficiary will be receiving 25 kilos of rice from the ministry. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), persons with disability (PWDs), rebel returnees, orphans, solo-parents, and households that have not yet availed of any social protection program of MSSD and have been validated and assessed as eligible indigents are among the recipients of rice assistance.
Upon the transport of the said goods to each municipality, the distribution to the qualified beneficiaries ensued, starting on September 15.
MSSD targets to reach 16,388 indigent beneficiaries in Basilan wherein out of the total target beneficiaries, 3,832 are from Lamitan City, 2,116 are from Sumisip, 2,061 are from Maluso, 1,272 are from Hadji Muhtamad, 1,247 are from Lantawan, 1,060 are from Al-Barka, 1,025 are from Tuburan, 972 are from Tipo-tipo, 979 are from Hadji Mohammad Ajul, 935 are from Ungkaya Pukan, and 889 are from Akbar. The PSWDO and the respective Municipal/ City Social Welfare and Development Offices shall conduct house-to-house and clustered distribution of the rice.
Moving forward, beneficiaries who are identified as qualified for other services will be further assessed and referred by the field social workers in their areas to other existing programs. (Jidday Lucman/MSSD BARMM)