Cabanatuan City Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara and Director Thelsa Biolena of the DSWD-Social Technology Bureau during the signing of the  Memorandum of Agreement for the SALINLAHI Project for the Sama-Bajaus in Cabanatuan City.

The SALINLAHI or the Sama-Bajau Localized Interventions and Learning Approach for Holistic Improvement is a community-based project that shall pilot-test Culture-based Early Cildhood Care and Development (ECCD) as a social welfare and development model intervention to be implemented in the Sama-Bajau Activity Centers in Region III and NCR.

In Region III, the project will be pilot-tested in Barangay Bakod Bayan, Cabanatuan City and will benefit 121 families  and 110 children aged 0-6. The project seeks to strengthen maternal and child care education of Sama-Bajaus parents; promote culture-based learning sessions for Sama-Bajau children at the activity center; and increas access of Sama-Bajau families to local services.

The 121 Sama-Bajau families are beneficiaries of the DSWD Core Shelter Assistance Program (CSAP) worth P8,470 million.  The City Government of Cabanatuan provided the lot in Barangay Bakod Bayan.

Aside from the the CSAP, the DSWD also funded the construction of the activity center worth P2.5 million; Supplementary  Feeding  Program for Bajau children worth P551,000.00; and Cash for Work worth P524,160.00. ### (Social Marketing Unit)