‘Sudden shift’ stops EGIP -CSWDO chief

City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) head Cynthia Mirande pointed to the "sudden shift" of program design and implementation as the culprit of the recent but unexpected call for interns to stop working under the Expanded Government Internship Program (EGIP).

Delayed communication

Based on the delayed communication from the Department of Social Worker and Development (DSWD) Region VI, dated June 4 (but Mirande said they had received it only on July 23), DSWD national office ordered that only 17 percent  of the validated intern applicants per local government unit can be deployed for the first phase of the program with 52 working days.

Signed by DSWD Region VI Director Minda B. Brigoli, the letter further mentioned that the fate of the remaining "83 percent will be communicated later subject to direction from the Central Office."

Mirande went on to explain that she called a halt to work for interns on July 17 after she called the regional office and verified that there is a shift in the program design.

Budget

DSWD blames the limited fund from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Thus, only those among the 17 percent will be allotted budget at the end of the 52-working days.

San Carlos City with 322 interns will only receive

P 1.3M worth of payroll supposedly good for 91 interns only. But Mirande said that La Carlota City gave up its quota and gave it to San Carlos.

And, it was agreed that the budget will be divided equally among all interns so they will receive roughly P 4,000 on August, a far cry from the

P 14,000 promised them at the start of the program. They were only able to render 39 days of service to day care centers.

This scheme was agreed to fulfill Brigoli's promise made during the Pag-asa Youth Association (PYAP) summit last May at the Ramon Magsaysay Elementary School grounds that 100 percent of youth applicants in San Carlos could start on that same month and benefit from EGIP.

The regional office is now working out a new project proposal that will recommend that the remaining 83 percent of interns per LGU will receive the stipend promised to them. 

New design

EGIP's new design now transfers the program to Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The remaining 83 percent of interns of every LGU will be placed on the Cash for Training Project where they will no longer be given work but a P 20,000 worth of vocational scholarship. Included in this are scholarship voucher worth P 7,000, tool kit worth P 6,200, and transportation allowance of P 6,800.

Western Visayas is set to get a P 104.4M budget for youth trainees. EGIP beneficiaries are now encouraged to apply for this new program but the CSWDO has not yet received any information as to when this new scheme will be implemented and when the prospective trainees can start their courses.