The Provincial Gender and Development Focal Point System of the Negros Occidental has approved 64 projects, worth P262.5 million, to be funded by the 2024 Gender and Development budget.
About P95.4 million of the 2024 Provincial GAD fund will go to health-related programs and projects, according to a press statement issued by the provincial government Public Information Office.
These include the P70 million for the Subsidy for Medical Expenses of Members and Dependents of the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program or NOCHIP; P 17.2 million for 17 projects of the Provincial Health Office; P 7.2 million for the Hospital Operations Department Admin and seven hospitals, and the P 1 Million for the Surgical, Health Advocacy and Medical Services of Nikki Cares Foundation.
The 10 Scholarship programs of the Negros Occidental Scholarship Division were allocated P90,340,500, while the Training for Work Scholarship of the Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center will get P 33.2 million.
Almost P15 million was allocated for the eight sectoral support and empowerment and anti-Violence Against Women programs of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, including the support to the Holy Family Home.
About P21 million will be for livelihood support and employment projects.
The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and the Provincial Environment and Management Office will receive P6 million each, while P4 million will be allocated for the Technology and Livelihood Development Center.
More than half of the P5.8 million GAD budget for the Provincial Planning and Development Office will be used for the livelihood and economic support of various women constituents, while the Provincial Employment Service Office will have an allocation of P2 million.
Gender and Development programs for the employees of the Provincial Capitol will be taken care of by the various projects of the Provincial Human Resource and Management Office and the Office of the Governor, with a combined allocation of P4 million.
The GAD budget is 5 percent of the more than P5 billion anticipated budget of the province next year.
Present during the meeting on October 12 were PGFPS members who are PGNO department and office heads, and representatives of various sectors and national government agencies.*
