The convergence effort of DSWD Provincial Extension Office Bulacan and its initiative have ensured that the programs and services of the Department are delivered to clients in a timely and systematic manner. DPEO Bulacan, headed by Ms. Feliza V. Esguerra, Provincial Team Leader, acting as One Team, having One Goal, resulting to One Bulacan renders quality and efficient programs and services to the Bulakenyos and achieves the DSWD’s thrusts and priorities.
In 2016, the Community-Based Programs and Rehabilitation Services was catered 187 special cases; 174 new cases and 13 old cases. These clients received proper interventions and services in order to cope up with the problems they were involved in. Counseling, referral to appropriate care and support centers, provision of financial assistance, and/or recommendations were given depending on the assessed needs of the clients. Furthermore, the community-based social workers served 37 cases associated with Women in Especially Difficult Circumstances; 32 new cases and 5 old cases. These women who were victims of different kinds of abuse were provided counseling and referred to their respective municipalities for monitoring and after care services.
The Expanded Assistance of Individual in Crisis Situation (E-AICS) served 12,990 clients with fund utilization amounting to Php 48,105,500.00 in the year 2016. As an update, for the year 2017, there are 15,005 clients served with a total cash assistance of Php 58,098,000.00. The clients were provided medical, educational, burial, and transportation assistance funded by DSWD. Aside from the provision of financial assistance, some of the clients were referred to other partner agencies for further provision of services needed. Clients were also given counseling by the Social Welfare Officers II as need arises.
Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (CCAM) was successfully able to utilized 80% of the funds allocated for the 1st wave (2015) which served 18,421 beneficiaries amounting to Php 36,673,560.00 and 100% utilization for the 2nd wave (2016) with 12,328 clients served amounting Php 33,039,040.00. For the 3rd wave (2017), 35% of its fund allocation is on-going in its implementation. The remaining CCAM fund allocated to LGU’s for the 3rd wave are being focused by the program focal persons through constant follow-up to the regional office, and feed backing status of releasing of checks to the LSWDOs.
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, being the central to the Department’s poverty reduction and social protection strategy, the program has 67,894 target clients with fund allocation of Php 1,038,778,200.00 but the total actual funded are 414,938 beneficiaries for the whole year amounting to Php 912,317,100.00. With the actual funded, DPEO Bulacan was able to utilized Php 890,511,800 or 97.61% of the actual fund allocation which served 404,387 Pantawid household beneficiaries in Bulacan. With the almost 4% unpaid household beneficiaries, the Municipal Rooving Bookkeepers (MRB), with the coordination with the City/Municipal Action Team (C/MAT) Leaders, solicit the reasons of the unpaid cases. Hence, conduct of home visitations to the unpaid cases are done to validate the reasons and to ensure 100% utilization of funds on the next payout. Further, given the three conditions of the program, DPEO Bulacan garnered an average compliance rating of 86.87% on education, 93.46% on health, and 93.65% on family development session, in the year 2016.
Relative to the Social Welfare and Development Indicators (SWDI) conducted in the year 2015, there were 62,745 Pantawid household beneficiaries who were administered and assessed by SWDI. According to the result, there were 1534 households in survival level (Level 1), 48,038 households who fall in subsistence level (level 2), and 13,170 households who are in self-sufficient level (level 3). With the directives of the regional office, household beneficiaries who were assessed as level 1 and 2 were considered as gaps which are needed to be given interventions in order to uplift their lives, giving priority to the Level 1 household beneficiaries.
During the year 2016, the Sustainable Livelihood Program has delivered different livelihood assistance thru micro-enterprise development (MD) and employment facilitation (EF). The program has successfully accomplished 117.59% or Php 37,472,175.12 of the funds allotted for modality micro-enterprise development. Contrary to the success of MD projects, there were only 17.24% utilization rate amounting to Php 15,445,925.00 for the EF projects. With this utilization, SLP only accomplished Php 52,918,100.12 or 43.56% of the fund allocation.
The Social Pension Program, in the year 2016, has target of 12,179 social pensioners with fund allocation amounting to Php 76,308,000.00. Due to the additional available slot for social pensioners, DPEO Bulacan was able to served 14,538 qualified senior citizen/social pensioners with fund utilization of Php 87,228,000.00 or 114% of the fund allocation. The prompt information dissemination of the DPEO Bulacan to its respective LSWDOs enable to acquire the available slots and to serve more indigent senior citizens in the province.
Over the years, DPEO Bulacan has exemplary performed in the implementation of DSWD’s programs and services. In fact, the operation office and its staff have received different awards and recognition not only from the Regional and National DSWD office but also from partner stakeholders who appreciated the partnership and efforts of DPEO Bulacan in reaching the shared goal of uplifting the lives of poor families.
CSC’s HAP Awards is set on 12 September 2018. Are you going to bet for them? Find out more about DPEO Bulacan and follow their story in our official website and Facebook account until September 12, 2018.
DPEO Bulacan is being supervised by its Provincial Team Leader Feliza V. Esguerra under the leadership of DSWD Field Office III Regional Director Gemma B. Gabuya.
Story by: Nielady Gianina P. Cacanindin | Photo from: DPEO Bulacan
