DSWD Assistant Regional Director for Operations Rebecca A. Santamaria [leftmost] leads the DSWD contingent during the 117^th Philippine Independence Day celebration at Felcris Centrale Mall. Part of the commemoration was the ceremonial turnover of 700 pairs of slippers to Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program children beneficiaries. Also in photo are 15 Pantawid Pamilya children and their parents from Barangay 23-C in Davao City, Felcris Centrale Marketing Head Ivy Omo, and Assistant Mall Manager Jesse Calañas. (DSWD)

WELLNESS PROGRAM. DSWD Director Priscilla N. Razon does the ceremonial toss to open the finals of basketball games for the DSWD XI 2^nd Director’s Cup at Gaisano Grand Sky Gym, Davao City. Women volleyball finals was also played and participated by DSWD teams from the Regional Office, Rehabilitation Centers, Davao City, Davao Oriental, Davao Del Sur, Davao Del Norte and Compostela Valley. (DSWD)

Davao City –Delivery of coordinated and quality basic social services is determined by the competence and readiness of the office mandated to provide such.

The regulatory function of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) ensures that agencies and institutions catering social services and social protection implement them according to set standards.

Following the recent assessment conducted by DSWD as to the functionality of local social welfare and development offices (LSWDOs) in three Davao provinces, all 36 LGUs passed.

Regional Director of DSWD Priscilla N. Razon said three Provincial Social Welfare and Development Offices (PSWDOs), four City Social Welfare and Development Offices (CSWDO), and 29 Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices (MSWDOs) were found functional based on MC 16 series of 2014 also known as Standards for the Functionality of LSWDOs.

In support to DSWD Vision -To be the world’s standard in the delivery of coordinated social services and social protection for poverty reduction by 2030, MC 16 sets the indicators to measure the level of functionality of LSWDOs, Director Razon explained.

The respective LSWDOs are: Davao del Norte’s Panabo City, IGaCoS, Tagum City, Asuncion, Carmen, Kapalong, New Corella, Sto. Tomas, Talaingod and Braulio E. Dujali; Davao Oriental’s Mati City, Baganga, Banaybanay, Boston, Caraga, Cateel, Gov. Generoso, Lupon, Manay, San Isidro and Tarragona; and Compostela, Laak, Mabini, Maco, Maragusan, Mawab, Monkayo, Montevista, Nabunturan, New Bataan and Pantukan from the province of Compostela Valley.

According to Dahlia S. Padillo, DSWD Planning Unit Head, the assessment in Davao del Sur is ongoing and will run until end of the month.

Padillo said MC 16 captures specific statuses of LSWDOs in terms of management and operations, implementation of programs and services, and basis and direction on the rational provision of technical assistance and resource augmentation.

In this light, DSWD XI has provided Technical Assistance and Resource Augmentation (TARA) through activities such as conduct of Social Welfare and Development forum, consultation dialogue with LGUs, one-on-one session with LSWDOs, re-orientation on MC 16, and follow-up visit/monitoring LSWDO compliance to indicators on the assessment tool.

However, based on generated results, some LSWDOs still need to submit additional evaluation reports on program management and case management, Padillo added.

Further, a re-assessment of LSWDOs in Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley, and Davao Oriental will run in June to July this year. (DSWD)

Tagum City –The essence of public-private partnership is demonstrated anew through organic farming for poor families here.

On Friday, officials of Barangay Madaum; SM Foundation, Inc. (SMFI); SM Davao; Harbest Agri-business Corporation; Davao Del Norte Provincial Government; Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); Department of Agriculture (DA); and program participants of Pantawid Pamilya began the planting season for SMFI’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Farmers’ Training Program at a demonstration farm in Barangay Madaum. 

Leading the event were SMFI Assistant Vice President for Livelihood Outreach Program Cristie S. Angeles and DSWD Director Priscilla N. Razon.

According to Director Razon, under this latest public-private partnership on high-value crop production, some 150 families who are Pantawid and non-Pantawid recipients will gain extra opportunities to improve their life. 

“They have been taught basic skills in organic farming which they can readily apply and earn from it on top of providing fresh produce for their family.”

She said previous recipients were 154 Typhoon Pablo victims of Monkayo who maintain their organic farm in Barangay Olaycon while some have also ventured in cultivating their own backyard garden.

Participants grow vegetables and fruits like cucumber, tomato, squash, ampalaya, bell pepper, honeydew and gourd.

HarBest Agribusiness Corp. conducted the lectures and hands on sessions on Nursery Preparation, Seed Sowing, Land Preparation, Caring & Nursing of Seedling, Pruning, Trellis Preparation, Fruit Selection and Fruit Thinning, Pest and Disease Control, Irrigation & Drainage, and Postharvest Technology.

Integrated in the training course was an orientation on the DSWD Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) focused on Community Driven Enterprise Development approach which covers Self Awareness, Time Management, Financial Literacy, Product Management, Participatory Livelihood Issue Analysis, and Value Chain Analysis.

DSWD and DA also taught participants Cost Analysis and Return of Investment Analysis.

Director Razon added that to date, 36 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Davao Region have committed to work with DSWD to further assist recipients of Pantawid Pamilya. “We continue to collaborate with CSOs and non-government organizations like SM Foundation to provide additional opportunities to our Pantawid families and enable them to move up and lead a better life.” (DSWD)

Tagum City – 28 families who are members of the city’s Indigenous Cultural Communities/ Indigenous Peoples were recently made the beneficiaries of the Shelter Assistance Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the City Government of Tagum.

Implemented through the city’s Social Welfare and Development Office under the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Process, the program is jointly carried out by the DSWD and the local government to provide homes to the 28 families of Indigenous Peoples whose houses were destroyed, either partially or totally, during the onslaught of Typhoon Pablo in 2012.

The joint undertaking, which is pegged at ₱2.6 million, with the City of Tagum pledging the amount of ₱400,000 as its counterpart, is in accordance with the policy of the State to provide shelter to the families/victims whose houses are destroyed by natural or man-made disasters and calamities, and is in line with the City Government’s developmental thrust on Social Services.

Each IP family/beneficiary of the program is estimated to complete the ₱70,000- worth shelter unit within ten days after the implementation of the project and will also be paid the amount of P22,600.00 in exchange for their services or involvement during an 8-hour, 10-day construction work on the aforementioned shelter unit.

The beneficiaries who are all members of the Mansaka tribe from the city’s 4 flood-prone barangays of Pagsabangan, Mankilam, San Miguel and Canocotan were identified and selected by the Datus and Bias of their respective barangays.

The program was implemented during a ground breaking ceremony on May 28, 2015 at the city’s resettlement area at RTU Village, Purok 2, Apokon, Tagum City and was participated in by Tagum City Mayor Allan L. Rellon, DPA, PhD., Hon. Macario Bermudez, Hon. Allan Zulueta, Hon. Francisco Remitar, Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative Damiano Cipro, City ENRO Engr. Elias Ragos, City Engineer Roosevelt Corporal, Local Housing Board’s Engr. Bernardo Castor,  Acting City PDO Arturo Manigo, Acting City GSO Roger Dompol, CSWDO Nora C. Lupiba, RSW, and Brgy. Apokon Captain Bryan Kim Samuel Angoy. (CIO Tagum)

Davao City -Over 38,000 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in Davao Region are benefitting from the programs and services offered by its partner Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

As of June 2015, DSWD has partnered with 36 CSOs region-wide for provision of specific type of interventions deemed essential for the improvement of the well-being of target beneficiaries.

The various program and services offered by the CSOs are on values education, skills training, psychosocial healing and reintegration, local organizing in the grassroots level, livelihood and enterprise development, community empowerment, formal and non-formal education support, social sports, community extension, advocacy on community child protection, moral recovery, home visitation and counseling, scholarship, health and nutrition, rehabilitation, feeding, medical mission, student sponsorship, bible school, spiritual, advocacy on GAD (gender and development), employment generation, and community adoption. 

In Davao del Sur, the following CSOs have extended their programs and services to DSWD: Akbayan; Ang Nagkahiusang Kabatan-onan Alang sa Kalamboan – Sta. Cruz (ANAKK); Community Resource Center (CRC); Cor Jesu College; Davao del Sur Chaplaincy – Bansalan; Digos Fellowship for the Great Commission; Haven of Hope Orphanage; Lao Integrated Farms; People Power Volunteer for Reform; St. Mary’s College of Bansalan; University of Mindanao – Bansalan; and PILIPINA. 

For Compostela Valley, these CSOs are Assumption College of Nabunturan; Harvest House International Ministries; Kasilak Development Foundation, Inc; and Tribal Education of Ecological System (TREES). 

Meanwhile, in Davao del Norte, Child Alert – Mindanao, Christ Centered Bible Church, DANA Foundation, Harvest House International Ministries, Kalusugan Alang sa Bayan (KAABAY), Tribal Education of Ecological System (TREES), and University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) Tagum, have expressed their commitment.  

Davao Oriental CSO that signified support is Tribal Education of Ecological System (TREES).

From Davao City, these institutions have enlisted: Adolescent Health Advocates; Child Alert – Mindanao; Davao Baptist Temple; Harvest House International Ministries; Kiddies World; Mainland Development Center; Mindanao Land Foundation; MSQV Manpower and Collection Agency; Tambayan Center for Children’s Rights; University of Mindanao – Davao; and The Generics Pharmacy. 

“One of the Department’s thrusts this year is to strengthen coordination with CSOs, specifically on: (1) institutionalization of internal and external convergence alongside the implementation of Pantawid Pamilya; (2) initiating measures to facilitate better collaboration with volunteer groups and development partners in the implementation and monitoring of Pantawid Pamilya; and (3) intensifying strategic partnerships with the Local Government Units (LGUs),  National Government Agencies (NGAs) and the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs),” said DSWD Regional Director Priscilla N. Razon.

We always welcome the support of the CSOs which are pro-development and we appreciate their commitment to partner with the public sector especially with DSWD, Director Razon added. (DSWD)

PANTAWID GRIEVANCE SYSTEM. DSWD workers attend to families seeking clarifications and lodging other concerns on the implementation of Pantawid Pamilya Program during a recent public service caravan in Barangay Lasang, Davao City. The Pantawid Pamilya grievance redress system (GRS) was designed to facilitate due process in resolving complaints and grievances of beneficiary households and citizens at large. The rapid expansion of Pantawid Pamilya in terms of its scale and scope to meet the growing needs of poor households led to an increase in queries, clarifications, and problems related to program policies and procedures. (WB/DSWD)

PGS BOOTCAMP. Performance Governance System (PGS) focals, Management Audit Analysts, Information Officers and other Technical Staffs of DSWD participate in the recent Governance Bootcamp held at One Tagaytay Hotel, Tagaytay City. Organized by the DSWD Office of Strategy Management (OSM), the three-day event dealt on governance and development, interoperability of systems, PGS proficiency elements, and organizational transformation. Theme was Synergy: Birthing Teams, Bridging Seams, Building Dreams. (DSWD)