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Dapitan City 2007 COA Audit on Gender and Development

July 8, 2010

Gender and Development

9.    The livelihood assistance in the form of trainings and materials given to various women’s group did not provide the benefit for which the funds were intended due to the failure of CSWDO to monitor its project implementation and lack of seed capital to pursue the project.

The City Government recognizes the vital role of women in nation building. In its effort towards integration especially the disadvantaged and distressed women in economic, social, political, and cultural development, priority thrust program were conceptualized in the areas of economic and livelihood development to facilitate and maximize its participation in community affairs.

With the increasing number of unemployed women of working age, it felt that there is a clamor to provide them with comprehensive economic and livelihood development training program. An appropriation of P500,000.00 was set aside for these trainings and/or undertakings.

The training’s objectives are to gain access to employment through the provision of skills training and capital for self-employment; inculcate the value of positive work habit; productivity and self reliance; and to draw them to maximum participation in all community development undertakings.

Targeted beneficiaries for the practical skills development training require at least twenty-five (25) women members per barangay who will embark on intensive skills training and small scale entrepreneurship for self-employment and capability and to be technically assisted by the City Social Welfare & Development Office.

A total of thirty-seven (37) women’s groups were trained involving different project proposals from meat/food processing, dressmaking, handicraft, garment/dried fish trading, sewing, cosmetology, etc., which cost the city government of P289,250.00 of which P264,051.40 (See Annex “N”) are livelihood assistance in the form of various materials used for their projects.

Verification of the project proposals submitted revealed that before the group are trained and given the materials, the co-approval of a Sanggunian Panlungsod member who sits as the chairman of the Committee on Women and Family Relation is required, a move shrouded with political biases considering that the trainings were launched near election time.

After the training, materials used were given. The determination of the group’s loan obligation was based on the assessment or valuation of the materials. A Memorandum of Agreement was signed by the president of the association containing, among others, the following: (1) That the loan shall be paid on installment basis for one (1) or two (2) years, depending on the rate of return; (2) Submission of report by the women’s association to the CSWDO; (3) That the materials given shall be used solely for its intended purpose; and (4) That the funds generated shall be deposited in the bank and that the CSWDO shall be notified when these are withdrawn.

A selective post-evaluation and interviews with the women’s group (beneficiaries) revealed that out of the thirty-seven group proponents, a handful only were successful and some were not started at all for which the materials received remained idle in the barangay. The reasons given why the projects were not started or unsuccessful were the following:

1.    Lack of monitoring on the part of the CSWDO to the projects;
2.    Lack of seed capital and interest/involvement of members in the undertakings;
3.    Trainings require enhancement;
4.    Absence of product display center where these could be marketed and to create public awareness;
5.    Personal attitude of members (some prefer to have his own project); and
6.    Collection problems for those products sold on credit.

From the successful projects, to date the City Social Welfare and Development Office has yet to receive the installment payment.

The failure to monitor the project implementation and the inadequate funds given to the beneficiary deprived them of the purpose for which these are given.

Management Comment:

The social workers in charge in all units of the city promised to monitor the program and assured us that the issue on non-compliance with the program implementation be brought during the women’s month celebration. On the other hand, management is willing to provide additional space to be given to women’s group to serve as their display center of their product.

Recommendation for Dapitan City:

Direct the City Social Welfare and Development Office to intensify monitoring of project implementation. Integrate women’s group with the same project proposal to assess viability and marketability of the product. Provide additional funds to those projects that require additional capital. Likewise, the City Government should provide enough space that will serve as its product display center to create public awareness and marketability of their produce.

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Written by rage · Filed Under Dapitan City 

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