Ilagan City, Isabela – DOLE Secretary Silvestre โBebotโ Bello III led the 3rd Quarter Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) Meeting at the Isabela Provincial Capitol in this city earlier today.
The meeting was held to brief the secretary on the peace and development gains and priorities of different member agencies of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) chaired by Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba, the Regional Development Council (RDC) chaired by Isabela Governor Rodito Albano, the RDC Advisory Committee (AdCom), the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) and the RDC2 Special Committee on Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa Program (BP2).
Bello in his speech urged member agencies and LGUs to report concrete accomplishments supported by figures so the gains can be visualized by the people, particularly as the government doubles down on its peace and development priorities in the last 9 months of President Duterteโs Administration.
Regional Director Joel M. Gonzales meanwhile presented the accomplishments of the RTF-ELCACโs Technical Working Group for the 3rd Quarter during the meeting.
An awarding of Nego-Kart to 35 beneficiaries was also personally led by Secretary Bello at the Ilagan City Community Center after the above-mentioned meeting.
The beneficiaries come from Ilagan City, ambulant vendors who are priorities of the DOLE to help cater the movement of their goods and services.
For 2021, the DOLE RO2 through the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) has already assisted 876 beneficiaries and an amount of more than P24M for the distribution of Nego-Karts and starter kits to beneficiaries in Region 02.
20 construction workers were also vaccinated as part of the โReform, Rebound, Recover: One Million Jobs for 2021โ project of the government.
Recipients of the vaccine are workers from manufacturing and construction firms as part of the approved request of the DOLE from the National Task Force for COVID-19 of vaccination of 452,000 workers in industries that are crucial for the recovery of the economy.
The vaccination is part of the agreement made between DOLE and the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) Task Force and the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) for the creation of 1 million jobs in 2021 in exchange for the vaccination of workers before they start working.
Finally, the secretary also awarded the winners from the region from the recently concluded Secretaryโs Bayanihan Service Award where LGU Ilagan City won the award under the Component and Independent Component City PESO Category and LGU San Mariano, Isabela won the award under the 1st-2nd Class Municipality PESO Category.
The DOLE-Nueva Vizcaya Field Office (NVFO) meanwhile meanwhile was awarded for bagging the top prize in the Light Category of the CAMP Bayanihan Awards.
Other DOLE officials who joined todayโs activity were Undersecretary Atty. Ana C. Dione, CESO III, Undersecretary Benjo M. Benavidez, Assistant Secretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay, CESO III, Assistant Secretary Warren M. Miclat, OSHC Executive Director Noel C. Binag, BWSC Director Ma. Karina Perida-Treyvilla and POEA Administrator Bernard P. Olalia. DOH Regional Director Rio Magpantay also graced the event.(DOLE Region2 press release)