City of San Fernando, Pampanga—With the intention to create a venue in providing feedback and ensuring that program phases are moving forward, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office (FO) III fronted a Unified Regional Program Management Training (URMPT) Consultation Meeting last February 23-24, 2016.

It is a convergence effort to bring out and resolve both the internal and external issues and concerns encountered by the DSWD FO III.

The assembly was attended by Provincial Action Team (PAT) leaders, Programs Focal Persons, selected Municipal Links (MLs) who presented the Municipal Action Team (MAT) processes, and staff from the DSWD Central Office (CO) who provided the plans and directions from the National Program Management Offices.

The success indicators of a program and a project are quality, quantity, and timeliness. Yet, Dir. Gemma Gabuya, also emphasized that in order to perform a deep and further assessment, there should be an individual caseload profile/folder—alike with the progress notes.

“Issues in the municipalities are being reiterated; there had been updates. And, there had been a cascading of the resolutions since there are attendees from the CO—it is even faster,” said Yovelyn Jean Abuso, Social Welfare Officer (SWO) II of the Program Convergence of Zambales.

The highlight of the first day gathering was the presentation of programs status of Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, KALAHI CIDSS-National Community-Driven Development Program (KC-NCDDP), Bottom Up Budgeting (BUB), and the presentation of the Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) status. While, on the second day, there were presentations of the PATs (PAT Aurora and PAT Nueva Ecija) and MATs (Local Government Units (LGUs) of Aurora and LGUs of Nueva Ecija.

“This event really played an important role for the concerns of the PAT and MAT which are being addressed. What more is that we gain ideas from the best practices of other provinces,” said Mareizl Basilio, SWO II of the Convergence Program of Pampanga.### (Andyleen Feje)