Koronadal City, South Cotabato — The Provincial Government of South Cotabato identified 90 priority Convergence Areas this year (1st batch). The program is a poverty alleviation initiative that focuses on the multi-dimensionality of poverty to conduct interventions and provide service-resource sharing of public and private entities to assist underprivileged communities to be self-sustaining and self-sufficient and eventually extinguishing poverty one barangay at a time.
According to Cris Pingkunn R. Fuentes, EnP, Project Development Assistant of PPDO-South Cotabtao, the program aims to reinvigorated the community by the provision of accessibility to basic public services such as medical, education, public safety, conduct of trainings and seminars, and provision of livelihood. Along with the private partners of the Provincial Government of South Cotabato, the program ensures the attainment of equitable growth and social equity of all communities through the coordinative effort of both the public and private entities in battling poverty in the province.
Convergence program for poverty reduction was established last November 2017, but Gov. Reynaldo S. Tamayo, Jr. said that in his administration, he will emphasize grassroots approach to every program and that every voice of community will be heard.
The Task Force identified 18 barangays in the town of Banga, 3 in the City of Koronadal and 11 in the town of Lake Sebu.
The list recognized 9 barangays in Norala, 7 in Polomolok, 5 in Sto. Nino and 6 in Surallah, a first-class town in the upper valley area of South Cotabato.
Tampakan eyed 10 barangays in its municipality.
The Provincial Task Force also identified 10 barangays in Tantangan and 11 in T’boli.
As of now, Tupi, however, has no convergence priority barangay.
The Provincial Task Force aims to support the implementation of End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) and to sustain peace and order among local communities while addressing and providing basic social services to the public, especially to the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA).
