DAVAO CITY (DSWD) – With the theme Sama-samang Paglilingkod ng may Malasakit, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) commemorates its 66th Founding Anniversary this year.

DSWD Davao Region will mark the milestone with a weeklong celebration from February 27 to March 3. The event will open with a motorcade in the city’s major thoroughfares and culminates with a tribute to outstanding partners and employees.

Making the celebration more festive are other events such as thanksgiving mass, photo exhibits, blessing of new DSWD facilities, bazaar, garage sale, products display by the Sustainable Livelihood Program recipients and DSWD centers, free eye check-up and consultation, vocational technical exhibit, and awards ceremonies.

DSWD provincial teams will also mark the event with various activities such as motorcade of decorated tricycles; presentation of new DSWD vision-mission statements and organizational outcomes; event announcement during provincial convocation; turnover of assistive device; and turnover of livelihood assistance and cash-for-work funds.

This year’s recipients of PaNata Ko sa Bayan or Pagkilala sa Natatanging Kontribusyon sa Bayan Awards include LGU Tagum City, LGU San Isidro (Davao Oriental), Edge Davao, Philippine Information Agency, Philippine News Agency, Ptr. Nimrod Citoy, Ptr. Jonathan P. Cubelo Sr, Dr. Melba L. Manapol, Danny S. Dionaldo, Dr. Fe J. Sinsona, Lucita T. Rodriguez, Rev. Danilo Inguillo Magabulo, LGU Kapalong, Thelma Eliseo-Villagracia, Talaingod Kalahi-CIDSS Federated Association, LGU Maco, and Davao City Pagasa Youth Association of the Philippines.

PaNata Ko sa Bayan Awards recognizes the efforts of individuals, groups and organizations whose panata or vow is to share their resources and time in providing for a better opportunity for the disadvantaged sectors. Under this award are the Salamat Po Award, Gawad sa Makabagong Teknolohiyang Panlipunan, GAPAS Award and Gawad Ulat.

DSWD workers and units that have demonstrated outstanding performance will be honored with PRAISE Awards like Gawad Huwaran, Gawad Kalihim, Gawad para sa Maagap at Mapagkalingang Serbisyo, and Gawad #MayMalasakit. Loyalty Awards will also be presented to employees who have served the Department for 10 years and more. (DSWD)

DAVAO CITY (DSWD) – Director Mercedita P. Jabagat of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) enjoins the public to always consider the best interest of children and help promote the legal procedure in adopting children as the nation once again observes Adoption Consciousness Week from February 11 to 19.

“Over the years, DSWD has been resolute in its efforts of bringing to the fore the importance of legalizing the adoption of children, emphasizing the sense of security and peace of mind it offers to both the child and the adoptive family,” Director Jabagat stressed.

The act of adopting a child is an act of selfless love, ensuring full and complete protection over the adopted child or children. We call on all adoptive families and those intending to adopt to adhere to and be mindful of the adoption law, Director Jabagat urged.

“Let us make the life of our adopted child the happiest by providing the love and the security he or she needs most, so that he or she will grow up emotionally secure, healthy and responsible,” she added.

To further push legal adoption, the Adoption Resource and Referral Section of DSWD Davao Region has been conducting orientation on Republic Act 9523 (DSWD Certification to Declare a Child Legally Available for Adoption) as well as Adoption Forum for social workers in local government units and child caring agencies, and to barangay health workers.

This year’s theme Pagmamahal Palaganapin, Legal na Pag-aampon Ating Gawin (Spread Unconditional Love through Legal Adoption) advocates the welfare and human rights of adoptive children who must also enjoy the same privileges as biological children do.

Adoption is a socio-legal process of providing a permanent family to a child whose parents have voluntarily or involuntarily relinquished parental authority over the child.

In 2016, the Adoption Resource and Referral Section of DSWD Davao Region was able to serve 184 cases pertaining adoption.

For the weeklong event, DSWD will convene adoptive parents and prospective families in an Adoption Forum. A press conference to promote legal adoption will also be conducted through Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Annex while Adoption Inquiry Desk will be installed in strategic places to readily respond to queries. Further, advocacy through newspapers, social media, radio and television has also been arranged.

“I Love You, Anak” is the official song for the adoption advocacy campaign of DSWD, Inter-Country Adoption Board (ICAB) and McCann Worldgroup.  (DSWD)

SKILLS TRAINING. 30 Pantawid Pamilya participants of Lubogan, Toril attend the Skills Training on Beads Accessories Making. To date, over 260,000 poor families in Davao Region are benefiting from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. (DSWD/ Photos by Luis L. Seras)

HANGING BRIDGE. The 40-linear meter hanging bridge in Barangay Talogoy in Malita, Davao Occidental will soon benefit 701 households in the area. The project is being undertaken with the active participation of community volunteers of Kalahi-CIDSS or Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). (DSWD)

DAVAO CITY, January 31, 2017 (PIA) A total of 201 house helpers turned out in the 4th Kasambahay Day celebration held at the San Pedro College Gymnasium over the weekend.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio in here message congratulated the Task Kasambahay for organizing the 4th Kasambahay Day celebration.

She also prodded on the house helpers to enjoy the fun and games intended for them.

“You have helped our family, in the same manner you become part of our family,” Duterte-Carpio stressed.

She said that she also aspires the realization of the ambition of the Kasambahay.

Rodrigo Roble, point person of the Tulong Alay sa Kasambahay (Task Kasambahay) Program headed by the Department of Labor and Employment XI said it was a day to pay respect to the house helpers who lend a hand while their principals earn a living for their respective families.

He stressed that no matter how lowly the work of the Kasambahay is, they are a big help to the families in the city.

Roble thanked and gave corresponding recognition the line-government agencies who provided food and prizes in the sing and dance fair held highlighting the talents of the Kasambahay.

“This day is our way of thanking you for your help as the government recognizes the responsibility to push for your rights and protection,” he stressed.

Line agencies present were from the Pag-ibig, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Social Security System, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Education, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Labor and Employment, Home Development Mutual Fund, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Information Agency, Liga ng mga Barangay and the San Pedro College.  (PIA 11-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)

New Corella, Davao del Norte (DSWD) – Around 300 community volunteers from 20 barangays here participated in the recent Kalahi-CIDSS Municipal Community Volunteers’ Congress held at the municipal gymnasium.

The Kalahi-CIDSS Area Coordinating Team with the support of the local government unit, adopted the recently conducted Community Volunteers’ Congress held at the regional level, which gathered some 800 Kalahi-CIDSS volunteers from 27 implementing municipalities.

“The one-day activity is a combination of team building activities and workshops that aim to build trust and strengthen the camaraderie of our volunteers. Also, this activity will help them determine ways on how to sustain and carry on the lessons and processes of community driven development (CDD) in their community,” explained Marlyn C. Getizo, Kalahi-CIDSS Area Coordinator of New Corella.

She said, with the support of the local government unit, they adopted the activity at the municipal level to recognize the effort of the volunteers who selflessly put their time and effort to implement the program.

“Our volunteers were able to share their gains and experiences.  Through this, our volunteers also improved their planning efficiency and safeguards so that the effort, time, and resources they put in the program implementation are aptly used.”

The Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), one of the core programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is a community-driven development program of the Philippine Government aiming to empower people through sustainable development, enhanced participation in local governance, and management of poverty alleviation projects.

Since the scale up of the program in New Corella in 2015, 60 sub-projects have already been completed. 40% of these are basic infrastructures, 45% on basic social services, 10% are facilities for community production and economic support, and 5% on environmental protection and conservation.

“I am grateful to be part of this activity. This is the first community volunteers’ congress at the municipal level. I am thankful that we are given the opportunity to express our ideas on the interventions that can help in sustaining the processes of the program,”   said Jeannibeth Lemonsero, Kalahi-CIDSS volunteer from Barangay Sta. Fe.

“The activity is a fruit of our sacrifices because the program values our worth as volunteers, making us partners of government and as catalysts of change,” Lemonsero stressed.

“Another good thing about Kalahi-CIDSS is that ordinary people are being capacitated and trained in the simplest way one can understand, thereby enhancing their knowledge as they go further and further in the learning process,” said Virgilo B. Getizo, Chair, Committee on Social Services.

He added, at the end, one can also see the real transformation of these ordinary citizens when they become resource persons in future motivational talks and gatherings.

One of the volunteers’ outputs during the congress is a resolution which urges the use of community driven development process in identifying sub-projects that address the needs of the community. To date, there are 1,192 community volunteers in New Corella. (DSWD)

Davao City (DSWD) – Some 114 City/Municipal Links (C/MLs) of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) attend a three-day training on Food and Nutrition Module of the Family Development Session (FDS) Manual starting Wednesday at Grand Men Seng Hotel.

“The food and nutrition training is DSWD’s response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive on the provision of rice subsidy to the poorest of the poor to address the recurring hunger problem during his 2016 State of the Nation Address (SONA). The Department will prepare Pantawid beneficiaries to become independent and self-reliant thru the integration of backyard vegetable gardening and animal-raising for their own consumption,” said DSWD XI Focal Person for FDS Ella Charise Antepasado. 

The primary objective of the training is to equip participants with knowledge, attitude and thinking skills to effectively manage and facilitate the implementation of the module to beneficiaries which will be incorporated in the monthly-held FDS. It will follow the active and participative learning approach which is called the “ADIDS (Activity, Discussion, Input, Deepening and Synthesis)” approach, Antepasado added.

Subsequently, the training aims to (a) identify the core messages of the different sessions of the Food and Nutrition Module, and be able to cascade the same message to their co–C/MLs; (b) describe the strategies or approaches in conducting the module through demonstration; (c) gain mastery of the different content areas in the module, particularly the objectives, activities, methodologies and key learning points through return demonstration; and (d) prepare a re-entry plan in rolling-out training and technical assistance on the use of the module to their co-C/MLs.

The FDS Manual is currently being used by Pantawid Pamilya to achieve its goal of empowering program beneficiaries to perform their parental roles and responsibilities by responding to everyday needs of their families and their children. FDS is seen as an intervention for parents to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to improve the health, nutrition, cognitive, and psychosocial situation of their children; promote positive family values; and strengthen marital relationships to encourage involvement, participation, volunteerism, and leadership of program beneficiaries.

At present, a total of 233,694 households all over Davao Region is benefiting from the program saturating all cities and municipalities in all 5 provinces as well as Davao City. (DSWD)

DAVAO CITY (DSWD) – Over 200 male and female domestic workers attended the 4^th Kasambahay Day Celebration on Sunday at San Pedro College Gymnasium from 9:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m.

Led by the Inter-Agency Convergence Team for Tulong Alay sa Kaunlaran ng Kasambahay (TASK Kasambahay), the initiative aimed at giving tribute to the hardworking and committed ‘kasambahays’ in the region.

Dubbed as Kasambahay Showcase of Talents, the house helpers heartily showed off their creativeness in The Voice of Kasambahay and Kasambahay Got Talent. They also took home some prizes from the various parlor games that the organizers initiated.

TASK Kasambahay is composed of government agencies and civil society groups like SSS, DepEd, PHIC, DILG, TESDA, San Pedro College, DOLE, DSWD and HDMF.

Apart from TASK Kasambahay member agencies, participants were warmly welcomed by Dr. Desiderio Noveno Jr., SPC Ad-Interim President; Atty. Joffrey M. Suyao, DOLE Regional Director; and Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio.

Republic Act 10361 also known as Kasambahay Law, Domestic Workers Act or Batas Kasambahay which took effect on February 3, 2013 and targeted at least 2 million Filipino domestic helpers, aims at establishing labor standards for domestic workers, enhancing coverage of social protection, protecting rights of domestic workers, professionalizing the relationship between the kasambahay and employer, informing and orienting parties of their rights and obligations, among others.

The Law covers all domestic workers employed and working within the country.

Further, the Law entitles domestic workers to benefits such as a set minimum wage; work leaves with pay; enrollment in insurance programs such as SSS, PHIC or PhilHealth, and HDMF or Pag-IBIG; and shall be entitled to all the benefits in accordance with the pertinent provisions provided by law. (DSWD)