MOA SIGNING. A new partnership of Holcim Philippines, Inc., Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) – KorPhil Regional Training Center was launched Tuesday at Holcim Davao Plant, Barrio Ilang. Signatories to the Memorandum of Agreement are [from left] Barangay Captain of Mahayag Eufemia Baquerel, Barangay Captain of Tibungco Merjade D. Callo, Acting Center Chief of TEDSA Ernesto Nadera, Holcim Plant Manager Xavier Kennedy, and DSWD Regional Director Mercedita P. Jabagat.

Under its Stakeholder Engagement Program, Holcim aims to support community development through various industrial and construction related skills training, livelihood and employment. Targeted in this latest collaboration are residents of barangays Panacan, Ilang, Tibungco, Mahayag and Bunawan who will undergo skills training in Forklift Operation NC II, Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Plumbing NC II, Masonry NC II and Tile Setting NC II. (DSWD)

DATA SHARING. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Director Mercedita P. Jabagat [center] turns over a DSWD Listahanan Data to Jose Maria College (JMC) Human Resource Development and Management Director Leonora Q. De Guzman and Quality Management System Director Rosener Guyano [leftmost]. The Listahanan data will serve as reference for JMC in identifying potential participants in its scholarship program. As recipient of the privileged data, JMC shall ensure its safekeeping, proper transmittal, handling and restricted access as indicated in the Listahanan Data Sharing Guidelines and in accordance with the Data Privacy Act. Joining the turnover are DSWD Promotive Services Division Chief Merlinda A. Paragamac and Assistant Regional Director for Operations Alfredo M. Sy.

Listahanan is the DSWD information management system that identifies who and where the poor are. It is a comprehensive socio-economic database of poor households as basis for determining beneficiaries of different social protection programs and services. (DSWD)

Talaingod, Davao del Norte (DSWD XI) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) partners with the 52nd Engineering Brigade, Philippine Army to complete 15 classrooms in seven sitios of Barangay Sto. Niño here in coordination with the Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities through the Construction of Classrooms for Lumad (CCL) of Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS).

CCL responds to the education needs of IP communities while preserving and promoting their unique culture and heritage.

Last October 2018, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed between DSWD XI, LGU Talaingod, and AFP for the CCL projects in Talaingod. 

“The DSWD’s joint partnership with AFP aims to fast-track the implementation of schools in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) in Talaingod after it encountered numerous challenges that caused delay in delivering its commitment of completing construction as planned,” said DSWD Regional Director Mercedita P. Jabagat.

These problems included difficulties in transporting materials to the construction site and non-compliance of the contractor to the targeted physical accomplishments.

DSWD collaboration with its partners

Kalahi-CIDSS is one of the programs of DSWD that uses the community-driven development approach to empower communities in undertaking their own development projects. This is done through their direct and active participation in local governance, including identifying their village’s issues and taking part in the implementation of projects responsive to these problems.

“Most of the observed needs of the Indigenous People communities our team witnessed are the lack of basic social services such as schools in far-flung areas, making education difficult to pursue,” said LTC Frederick A. Ancheta CE (GSC) PA, Commanding Officer of 534th Engineer Battalion, 52nd Engineering Brigade, Philippine Army.

He added, their assistance to DSWD is intended to fast-track construction of classrooms to respond to the limited access of IP communities to education. “Through education, the young IPs will have a better future ahead because they have classrooms that are conducive to learning.”

“The experienced personnel of 534th Engineering Battalion provided skilled labor in building schools such as masonry, carpentry, and plumbing. This depends on the scale of the needed works to do. The personnel deployed in each site ranges from one to two teams or 9 to 18 personnel,” shared CPT Devo T Bubuli (CE) PA, Company Commander, Charlie Company.

He added they also provide supervision to both skilled and unskilled workers during the construction.

“The Kalahi-CIDSS Area Coordinating Team (ACT) ensures that the implementation of the construction will be synchronized with our partners. From coordination with the Barangay Local Government Unit (BLGU) in the delivery of materials and the schedule of the unskilled local labor up to the conduct of regular meetings for project updates and reporting system with all involved agencies,” said Merlinda Paragamac, Promotive Services Division Chief of DSWD.

“The community once lost its hope that the proposed classrooms may not be completed. But with the joint effort of DSWD and its partners, villagers now look forward to using the classrooms. Once the classrooms are fully operational, we’ll have a learning space to encourage curiosity, inspire creativity, and provide opportunity for personal and community growth of our IP students,” said school principal Abelardo D. Cardinal Jr.

DSWD also partnered with Department of Education (DepEd) in the CCL implementation.

CCL grant allocation in Barangay Sto. Nino is Php 11,781,855.00 targeting 15 classrooms while the Municipality of Talaingod has a total grant allocation of Php 29,061,909.00. The classrooms will be completed in December 2019. (DSWD)

DATA SHARING. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Director Mercedita P. Jabagat [center] turns over a DSWD Listahanan Data to Jose Maria College (JMC) Human Resource Development and Management Director Leonora Q. De Guzman and Quality Management System Director Rosener Guyano [leftmost]. The Listahanan data will serve as reference for JMC in identifying potential participants in its scholarship program. As recipient of the privileged data, JMC shall ensure its safekeeping, proper transmittal, handling and restricted access as indicated in the Listahanan Data Sharing Guidelines and in accordance with the Data Privacy Act. Joining the turnover are DSWD Promotive Services Division Chief Merlinda A. Paragamac and Assistant Regional Director for Operations Alfredo M. Sy.

Listahanan is the DSWD information management system that identifies who and where the poor are. It is a comprehensive socio-economic database of poor households as basis for determining beneficiaries of different social protection programs and services. (DSWD)

Sarangani, Davao Occidental (DSWD XI) – Surviving the daily grind was a struggle for the townsfolk of Barangay Laker in Sarangani, Davao Occidental.

After all, not so long ago, residents, especially students, teachers, and farmers had to travel by foot or horse, braving the bumpy, slippery, and muddy road in order to go to school or transport products to the nearest market. Basically, to the young kids and to the older people who are trying to make a living, even getting to where they need to be posed a glaring challenge.

“Before, we spent so much time travelling since getting to our barangay required two trips. First, by a 30-minute boat ride from the sentro (poblacion) followed by a hike or a horseback ride along slippery, bumpy, and muddy roads all the way to our barangay,” said Royeca J. Palbe, 34, a Kalahi-CIDSS community volunteer.

Today, the challenge of their once dangerous roads is behind them. Now, the community volunteer is proud to showcase the new roads in their barangay which they built through Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS). This program even empowered the community by including them in the whole planning, execution, and process.

Kalahi-CIDSS is one of the programs of DSWD that uses the Community Driven Development (CDD) approach to empower local communities to undertake their own development projects by actively and directly partaking in local governance. The locals are a vital part of every project because they help identify their community needs as well as take part in implementing projects that will address these needs.

Challenges, blessings

The municipality of Sarangani has a total grant allocation of Php 11, 645.000.00 per cycle.

“Through the Kalahi-CIDSS process, barangays are given the opportunity to present project proposals during the Municipal Inter- Barangay Forum Participatory Resource Allocation (MIBF-PRA). The people will then vote for projects deserving to receive funding, using a set of criteria that they themselves have formulated,” explained Merlinda A. Paragamac, DSWD Promotive Services Division Chief.   

While this system is great news for barangays that have been prioritized, it also means that there are communities that may not be chosen for a particular cycle. Due to budget limitations, communities are taught to be smart about which projects to prioritize. Usually, the projects which are chosen benefit the most people, and also contribute to the general economic welfare of the community. This is a learning curve for most people, though.

“Sa cycle 1, wala mi na prioritize maskin naningkamot mi. Among gipakita among sitwasyon pinaagi sa pag drama aron makita nila among kahimtang sa una. Among gi comply ang mga dokumento ug gitrabaho ang tanan. Pero wala gihapon namo nakuha ang proyekto (During cycle 1, we were not prioritized despite our best efforts to get the fund. We even re-enacted the situation in our community so they would understand. We completed all the documents and prepared everything but we did not get the sub-project),”Palber recounted.

She added,the community pondered that maybe their efforts were not enough because they failed to get the sub-project that they’ve been longing for. Eventually they understood that not all “needs” could be addressed right away, with the limited funding and the challenges of other areas. In the end, they were able to view the situation with a fresh, optimistic resolve.

“Our Barangay officials and the Kalahi-CIDSS Area Coordinating Team encouraged us to never give up on our dreams.”

Palbe shared that participating in the program had its challenges but it provided the townsfolk of Barangay Laker with better opportunities when they were ranked as number one among six prioritized barangays that were granted funds for the sub-projects they proposed during the second cycle of implementation.

“Gitun-an nako ang proseso sa programa, gihatag sa ako ang katungod sa mga time sheet, Employment Record sheet, og logbook. First time gyud nako ni makat-unan. Mura ko og nag skwela og usab. Sulod sa tulo ka tuig, natun-an gyud nako ang proseso (I learned the process of the program. I was given the responsibility to take care of the time sheet, Employment Record sheet, as well as the logbook. It’s my first time to learn something like this. It’s like I’m back in school. In three years, I learned the process).”

“The community volunteers are happy to have it. An improved road makes transport easier and now that they engage in the CDD process, they feel that they can better support themselves.”

On the implementation of the sub-project, they used the Community Force Account (CFA), a sub-project implementation arrangement where the sub-project is directly implemented by the community. The community procure the materials, hire local manpower and other needed resources to complete the sub-project.

The Community Force Account (CFA) not only contributes to generate additional income for rural families but it also allows skilled and unskilled workers from the barangay to construct the community project.

“Daghan mi og natun-an, hilabi na ang mga trabahante. Ang lima ka sitio naay rotation. Pag sugod sa trabaho nagpatawag og meeting. Sa sugod nag lisud mi sa materyales kay gikan pa sa layo nga lugar. Ang pagtrabaho naa man mi tanan naka monitor. Pag naay problema magpatawag mi og meeting aron masulusyonan dayon. (We learned a lot, especially the laborers. All sitios rotate for the project. We called for a meeting. We had difficulty at first since our materials were procured from a far place. We monitor our project and when problems arise, we meet to find solutions),”said Dondon M. Malina, 42, part of Project Preparation Team (PPT).

The concreting of community access road was funded by DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS at Php 2,494,402.00 with a Local Counterpart Contribution of Php 78,614.00.

Hopeful community volunteers

Because of the improved condition of the road, the cost of transporting their goods has gone down by almost half.

“Before, I would sell copras at Php 35.00, now I could offer it at Php 20.00 Everyone truly benefited in this project,” Malina added.

At present, the municipalities undergoing the LGU-led cycle are Braulio E. Dujali, Baganga, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos, Kiblawan, Lupon, Malalag, Montevista, San Isidro of Davao del Norte, and Sta. Maria with a total grant allocation of Php 173, 980, 750.00.

The townsfolk have improved their lives through Kalahi- CIDSS. It did not only give them a valuable resource, it also helped strengthen their leadership and camaraderie as a community.

“The municipality benefited largely from the program, not only because of the sub-projects but also the process that promotes transparency and empowers communities.  As a response, we will ensure that the process is sustained while the resources will never be put to waste,” Palbe emphasized.

The Kalahi-CIDSS project, through the collective effort of community volunteers, now provides safety to students when going to school and to farmers transporting their products. The road that imposed danger is now eliminated since the program and the people busted the bumps. (DSWD)

TAGUM CITY—50 families that have lived precariously along the accretion area of the Hijo River have now moved in to houses that were built on 60 square-meter lots located at Purok 3-G in Barangay Apokon during the official turn-over ceremony held on April 11, 2019. 

Designed by the City Government of Tagum (LGU- Tagum) and approved by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the duplex houses of the beneficiaries-families are mainly funded by the DSWD through their Modified Core Shelter Program.

Each family was provided by the national government with 70 thousand-peso worth of construction materials and was given a chance to earn Php 226 daily for ten days in a Cash-for-Work scheme presented by the DSWD which allowed a skilled member of the family to personally work on building their home.

The LGU countered the fund outsourced from the DSWD with provisions under its Shelter Assistance Program that included hollow blocks, sand and gravel, galvanized iron, lumber and provided the labor force in fabricating or welding the steel trusses of each of the duplex houses. 

The beneficiaries had been selected based on the tagging process undertaken by the City Housing and Land Management Office, with the barangay officials of Apokon confirming the families as living in the Barangay Apokon- located accretion area of the Hijo River which had been acknowledged as a danger zone.

The payment scheme of the government-funded socialized housing given to the newly relocated members of the community in RTU Village, a relocation site under the ownership of LGU Tagum, is bound to be heavily subsidized by the local government unit.

The turn-over ceremony which was spearheaded by Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon was witnessed by DSWD XI Regional Director Mercedita Jabagat and other city and barangay officials, LGU employees as well as barangay functionaries. (CIO- Tagum)

Tibungco, Davao City- “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to his/her commitment to excellence, regardless of his/her chosen field of endeavour,” regional winner of the Search for Pantawid Focal 2019 Education Category, Sally C. Aro believes in this.

For a decade now, Teacher Sally has been serving as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Focal Person in F. Bustamante National High School here. Ever since her early days in the assignment, she has committed herself in attending to the needs of the Pantawid beneficiaries enrolled in their school.

Teacher Sally believes that part of her job description is to ensure that the welfare of the parents and student beneficiaries are taken care of. Although she was only expected to receive and sign Certificate of Enrollments of parents and student beneficiaries, she was determined to exert extra mile in her work as Pantawid Focal Person.

Innovating

“I started my journey as a 4Ps Coordinator by planning on how to improve the implementation of the Pantawid Program in our school. I utilized various approaches and techniques for the different concerns of the program,” Teacher Sally narrated.

One particular innovation that Teacher Sally led was the designing and utilization of an attendance monitoring tool to track the status of Pantawid beneficiaries. This tool helps in the timely and comprehensive tabulation of the monthly attendance data of 4Ps students.

Teacher Sally also developed her own system to identify Pantawid beneficiaries in the beginning of every school year. This system also monitors the monthly attendance, completion and submission of Compliance Verification Forms.  With these innovations, she has always been found organized in her job and is prompt in complying with the timeline of submission of documents.

Facilitating solutions

“Our school was faced with a budding problem on habitual absences of 4Ps beneficiaries. As Focal Person, I made an initiative to talk to the parents of concerned students about their absenteeism. I also tasked the students to write a letter promising that they will attend their classes regularly. I also coordinated with the advisers to help monitor the attendance of beneficiaries as well as their academic performance,” Teacher Sally shared.

Teacher Sally also created a means in addressing the discrepancies in school records of beneficiaries. “The school encountered problems relative to beneficiaries who use wrong family names in official documents hence, resulting to a number of unenrolled students in the Compliance Verification Forms. As 4Ps coordinator, I helped them address the problem and referred them to the school registrar for proper processing of required documents.”

Commitment to education

Teacher Sally gives much importance in dealing with parents and students at an interpersonal level. To her, communication is very important to identify the needs and concerns of Pantawid beneficiaries. She takes time to listen to their problems and answer their queries well. Also, she often coordinates with the City Link and Social Welfare Assistant (SWA) to help address the concerns of Pantawid beneficiaries. More importantly, she started to build relationships with the people working behind the program. She makes an effort to ask for feedback as basis for further improving her practices.

Teacher Sally also spearheaded a Pantawid Project within their school named “Gulayan sa Paaralan” with the full cooperation of Pantawid beneficiaries. She even requested some Barangay officials and staffs to be stakeholders and contributors of the said project.

Teacher Sally gives time to enhance her personal effectiveness through submitting herself to undergo trainings. She has attended series of seminars, trainings and workshops where she was able to learn new methods and shared her own best practices as focal person in the Pantawid Program implementation.

Among her workshops are Orientation and Technical Assistance to Pantawid Field Implementers on K-12 Program last April 2016 which was participated by DSWD Pantawid Program field staffs, Consultation- Workshop on Records Management; and Family Development Sessions (FDS), where she shared inputs and updates on beneficiaries’ attendance monitoring, academic status and correct registration of family names.

Despite the demands and challenges she faced with her assignment as Pantawid Focal Person, her inherent flexibility and adaptability at work helped her manage multiple assignments. On top of all these, she is also assigned as Curriculum Head of Grade 7 Level and a subject teacher as well. As an individual that demonstrates commitment to the organization, she sees these responsibilities as stepping stones that will lead to career progression.

Teacher Sally is also determined to let her career be the bridge to help her make the community a better place for people like the Pantawid beneficiaries who need utmost support and assistance.

Teacher Sally is the first regional winner of the Search for Pantawid Focal under Education of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). This search recognizes the efforts and services of partner stakeholders from the schools and health centers who have been crucial to the successful implementation of the program.

At present, regional Pantawid Pamilya is helping 226,230 families in 43 municipalities, 6 cities covering all 5 provinces, by keeping their children healthy and in school. The program also has 29,070 IP beneficiaries in Davao Region under the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer for Indigenous Peoples (MCCT-IP). (DSWD)

MARILOG, Davao City (DSWD XI) – Some 69 tribal leaders from Matigsalug tribe attendedthe Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn Indigenous People – Community Driven Development (Kalahi-CIDSS PAMANA IP-CDD) Ancestral Domain (AD) Assembly at MACOEMADACI Friendship Building, Sito Marahan.

The AD Assembly aimed at providing detailed overview and features of Kalahi-CIDSS PAMANA IP-CDD, significant provisions of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, and the Guidelines on Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

Present were officials from National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Philippine National Police, DSWD officers, Barangay Leaders, and the Kalahi-CIDSS Area Coordinating Teams (ACT).

“The Ancestral Domain Assembly, part of the Social Preparation stage of Kalahi-CIDSS PAMANA IP-CDD, ensures that any sub-project decided upon by the community, which will be built or implemented within ancestral lands protected and possessed by IP groups should pass approval from the IP group and their leaders. In this way, the path towards empowerment and progress do not trample on other people’s rights,” explained DSWD Regional Director Mercedita P. Jabagat.

Also discussed during the assembly were the roles of the DSWD, NCIP, LGUs and tribal leaders in the implementation of IP- CDD.

The 69 IP leaders from the Matigsalog tribe, representing the sectors from elders, youth, and women, appointed the Community Sub-Project Management Committee (CSPMC), a group composed of community volunteers entrusted with the responsibility of managing the subproject with the technical assistance of the DSWD Area Coordinating Team (ACT).

“The formation of CSPMC ensures that the program provides everyone the opportunity to be heard especially in making decisions for his/her community. IP communities are able to participate in informed decision making for their community sub-projects,” Merlinda A. Paragamac, DSWD Promotive Services Division Chief stressed.

Covered areas of Kalahi-CIDSS IP-CDD in Region XI are Nabunturan, Mawab, Maco, Pantukan, Mabini, Maragusan, Talaingod, San Isidro in Davao del Norte, Kapalong, Sto. Tomas, Caraga, Baganga, Cateel, Boston, Kiblawan, Don Marcelino, New Bataan, and Compstela.

Total Grant Allocation for the IP-CDD implementation in Region XI is Php131, 600,000.00.

“Ang programang Kalahi-CIDSS PAMANA IP-CDD, gi respeto ang among tribo pinaagi sa pag konsulta sa amoa. Gi himo ming kabahin sa implementasyon sa mga proyekto, ug gi respeto sa programa ang among kulturanhong katungod (The Kalahi-CIDSS PAMANA IP-CDD respects our tribe by consulting us, involving us in project implementation. The program respects our cultural rights),” declared Datu Carlito Guinto Sr., Deputy Mayor of Matigsalug tribe in Marilog.

In Region XI, the reported population of Indigenous People in Kalahi-CIDSS IP-CDD areas is 234,902. This inclusive system of IP-CDD empowers the community to build more equity and ownership of the projects.

Kalahi-CIDSS is one of the programs of DSWD that uses the CDD approach to empower local communities to undertake their own development projects by actively and directly partaking in local governance in identifying their community needs as well as taking part in implementing projects that will address these needs.

The Kalahi-CIDSS IP-CDD targets to deliver basic services in IP communities by supporting the implementation of the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development Protection Plan (ADSDPP), strengthening partnership of local governance institutions and the Indigenous Political Structures (IPS), and building the communities’ resilience to conflict. (DSWD)