Spain extends P15-M grant for Aurora dev’t projects

BALER, Aurora — The provincial government has received a P15-million grant from the Spanish government for various development projects.

Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo told The STAR that the assistance falls under the so-called Poder Y Prosperidad del Communidad, a Spanish-funded, community-driven project implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through financial assistance from the Agencia Española de Cooperacion International.

The program seeks to empower local communities, reduce poverty and improve local governance by adopting the DSWD’s strategy anchored on Kalahi-CIDSS (Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services).

Angara-Castillo said the fund will be used to construct day-care centers, water systems and flood control systems in 12 barangays in the province.

She said the funding aid comes in the form of a grant with the provincial government contributing a counterpart fund equivalent to only 10 percent of the assistance.

She said the projects are in line with her six-point development agenda codenamed HEALTH, which stands for health, education, agriculture, livelihood, trade, and human resource development.

Angara-Castillo said the aid constitutes the third cycle of grant extended by the Spanish government under Poder.

She said P15.078 million was released under the first cycle in February 2005, benefiting 49 barangays in Dingalan, Dipaculao and this capital town.

The first cycle funded 32 projects on water supply, flood control and drainage improvement, postharvest facilities, and food processing and productivity centers.

So far, the provincial government and the beneficiary towns have raised P8.5 million in counterpart funds, while the office of House Deputy Minority Leader Juan Edgardo Angara has contributed P2.5 million.

A similar amount of P15.078 million was also released under the second cycle.

Angara-Castillo said the provincial government is also signing a memorandum of agreement with the Department of the Interior and Local Government for the implementation of the Hospital Equipment Assistance Project (HEAP), which will provide medical equipment and training to the provincial hospital and district hospitals.

At least 68 pieces of medical equipment will be donated to the province under HEAP, among them 20 hospital beds, 20 nebulizers, sterilizer, major surgical sets, oxygen regulator, pulse oximeter, suction apparatus, ultrasound machine, ventilator, laryngoscope, cataract instruments, and blood gas analyzer.