Sa tulong ng Pantawid lalo na ang Family Development Session ay nabuksan ang aking isipan at magsimulang mangarap na kailangang makapagtapos sa pag-aaral ang aking mga anak. Nasa kolehiyo na ang dalawa kong anak ngayon at ang aming panganay ay iskolar ng ESGPPA (Expanded Students Grants Program for Poverty Alleviation). Dati ay nahihirapan kami sa pagtustos sa pag-aaral nila ngunit nang dumating ang Pantawid ay nabigyan kami ng kaganaan at pag-asa na mabago ang aming buhay. Kaya namin ang pagbabago! -Rhemariane Antonio, 2nd runner-up winner 2015 Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya.

“Maraming salamat sa gobyerno at sa DSWD sa napakalaking tulong na ibinigay sa aming pamilya. Ito ay aming pagyayamin at patutunanayan na ang Pantawid Pamilya ang naging susi sa aming kaginhawaang tinatamo at magandang pagbabago sa aming buhay,” says Feliciano Baclig of the Baclig family, Region III 2015 Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya grand winner.

City of San Fernando   More than 300 government employees and representatives from non-government organizations (NGOs) converged during the inter-agency flag raising and candle lighting ceremony in observance of the 2015 Family Week Celebration held on September 21, 2015 at the NEDA covered court in this city.

With this year’s theme, “Gender Equality and Children’s Rights in Contemporary Families,” various activities initiated by the Regional Steering Committee for the 2015 Family Week Celebration were conducted in the region. This year’s theme focuses on the conduct of advocacy activities to heighten the awareness of the public on the celebration of the Filipino Family Week.

The celebration is pursuant to Proclamation Nos. 60 and 847 declaring the last week of September as Family Week and the last Sunday of September as Family Thanksgiving Day.

In her message, DSWD Field Office III Regional Director Gemma B. Gabuya thanked the participants for the opportunity to share with them the Department’s mandate of helping the vulnerable sector to achieve an improved quality of life. “We promote the rights of the vulnerable sector at tayong ay may kontribusyon sa pag-angat ng kanilang mga buhay

Gabuya also acknowledged some children in conflict with the law (CICL) from the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth who rendered the doxology and the singing of the National Anthem. “Minsan sa kanilang buhay sila ay nagkaroon ng suliranin sa batas ngunit sila ay binigyan ng pagkakataon ng ating pamahalaan upang magbagong buhay. Nakita natin ang kumpiyansa sa kanilang sarili sa pagharap sa atin ngayon. Bigyan natin sila ng chance at tanggapin sa kanilang komunidad. Sila ay maaaring maging potential leader, maging mabuting ama,” Gabuya said.

Gabuya also called on the participants to give chance to the abandoned, orphaned and neglected children of the Reception and Study Center for Children to have permanent or foster families. “Help us advocate to your friends in your communities who are willing to share their families either permanently or temporarily during Christmas.

“Minsan nalabag ang kanilang karapatan ng kanilang mga pamilya,” Gabuya said while referring to some children of RSCC who earlier rendered a special number. There will be no abandoned or neglected children if the foundation of their families are strong and able to promote the rights of their children, Gabuya stressed.

Another highlight of the event was the awarding of the winners of the Regional Search for Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya led by the Baclig family of Dipaculao, Aurora as grand winner; Lumague family of San Miguel, Bulacan; and Antonio family of Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac. ### (Social Marketing Unit)

Norma Garcia, a Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiary is one of the recipients of Cash Assistance from Bottom-Up-Budgeting (BUB) under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The Municipality of Apalit, Pampanga was allotted  P1.7M BUB budget for 2014 which was used as Capital Assistance for 183 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries, 11 non-Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries and 53 solo parents. The awarding, which was held on January 23, 2015 was led by Vice-Mayor Pedro Nucom with  MSWDO Harley Cortez, Municipal Treasurer Elizabeth Bustamante, and Joana Timbol, DSWD SLP Field Project Development Officer.

Norma, 49 years old and  married with eight children, is a Pantawid Pamilya Beneficiary since 2012. All her children were able to study with the help of the program. Her four children finished high school while the other four are still in school. The eldest, Norbert who is 27 years old now works abroad as a massage therapist and helps the family in their everyday expenses.  Her second child, Zorren, 25, is already married while Robert, 23, works as a construction worker like his father. Maria Jane, 21, helps her mother do the household chores.

Norma’s husband earns Php2, 000.00 a week, which according to her, cannot support the basic needs of the family. She helps her husband by selling rice cakes in their barangay and earns from Php 1,000.00 to Php 3,000.00 when there are order of  rice cakes which is on an irregular basis.

“Nagsimulang magbago ang buhay namin noong nakasama ako sa mga napahiram ng puhunan sa tulong ng BUB-SLP capital assistance. Nakatanggap ako ng P5,000.00 at ito ay ibinili ko ng oven na ginagamit ngayon sa pagluluto ng kakanin at hindi na ako napapaso sa uling na dati kong ginagamit,” Norma said.

Aside from being a housewife, mother and a vendor of rice cakes, Norma is also an active Pantawid Pamilya parent leader and treasurer of the Matapat Group under the BUB-SLP.  She was also a Barangay Health Worker of Barangay Cansinala, Apalit, Pampanga. “Marami akong ginagawa para sa pamilya ko at bilang parent leader pero suportado ako ng aking pamilya,” she said.

Her son, Robert is also a beneficiary of the Skills Training program under the DSWD-SLP in partnership with Arayat Institute Technology and Trade (AITT). He was one of the first batch of graduates who studied Shield Metal Arch Welding NCII (National Certificate II) held in Apalit from January 21 to February 10, 2015 and graduated on April 16, 2015. Robert is now planning to work abroad to use his welding skills and help his family.

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa gobyerno lalo na sa DSWD sa lahat ng tulong na aming natanggap sa BUB-SLP at sa patuloy na suporta ng Pantawid Pamilya. Nakapag-aral ang aking mga anak na may baon at masustansyang pagkain at nagkaroon pa ako ng dagdag puhunan sa aking munting negosyo at gumanda ang aming buhay. Patuloy na nakakapag-aral ang aking mga anak  at nakapagtapos pa ng pagwewelding ang isa kong anak  na  magiging daan upang magkaroon ng magandang hanapbuhay at makatulong sa kanya at sa aming pamilya,” Norma concluded. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office III through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program conducted the Regional Search for Huwarang Pantawid Pamliya 2015.

Now on its third year, the search aims to recognize family-beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamliya who maintain strong family ties, demonstrate positive Filipino values, and have a positive impact in the community where they reside.

The annual search is open to all family beneficiaries of the program. The family must consist of the father and mother and a child/children or solo parent and child/children. Each Provincial Operation Office conducted a provincial search. The families who qualified for the search in their respective province are Baclig family of Dipaculao, Aurora; Concepcion family of Balanga City, Bataan; Evangelista family of City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan; Lumague family of San Miguel, Bulacan; Bernardino family of Laur, Nueva Ecija; Rivera family of Mexico, Pampanga; Antonio family of Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac and Coronel family of Masinloc, Zambales.

The regional winners will receive P20, 000.00 (grand prize), P15, 000.00 (first runner-up) and P10, 000.00 (second runner-up) and P3, 500.00 (consolation prizes). The regional winner will represent DSWD FO III to the National Competition.

DSWD FO III invited three judges from its partner agencies, namely, Philippine Information Agency, Department of Education and Civil Society Organization as part of the validating committee.The nominees were judge based on the following criteria: for desk validation, maintenance of strong family ties and harmonious relationship while upholding Filipino values despite challenges of poverty (25%), family practices and promotes healthy living and environment care (20%), family involvement in community activities (20%), family as inspiration to others in the community (20%) and strives to improve living conditions amidst difficult situation (15%). For field validation, Character (25%), Communication (25%), Leadership and participation in community activities (25%) and Insights (25%).

Announcement of winners will be during the Family Week Celebration on the last week of September.

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a human development measure of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition and the education of children aged 0-18. ### (amid-SMU)

The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office III (DSWD FO III) is now conducting the second round household assessment to 1,451,248 households.

The second round assessment aims to provide timely and updated data on poor households to public and private social protection stakeholders to enable them to develop and implement responsive policies, programs and services.

As of July 28, DSWD FO III has already assessed 835,556 households or 57.58% from its target both in rural and urban areas. On the other hand, 656,782 Family Assessment Forms (FAFs) or 77.96% from its target were already encoded and verified.

TheNational Household Targeting Unit has already hired and oriented 2,616 field staff, encoders and verifiers. Additional 22 Area Coordinators, 136 Area Supervisors and 700 Enumerators will be oriented for the conduct of tablet enumeration on July 27-29 and August 2-9.

Tablet enumeration will fast-track the assessment process of 608,828 households in urban areas since they can automatically sync accomplished electronic family assessment forms directly to the server.

Listahanan is an information management system that identifies and assesses who and where the poor are. Listahanan makes available to the national government agencies and social protection stakeholders a pioneer database consisting of comprehensive information about poor families nationwide.

The said mechanism is intended for a unified set of criteria in identifying the poor and near poor and to ensure that limited resources for social services surely benefit the poor who really need assistance.###(amid-Social Marketing Unit)

“Dahil sa KALAHI-CIDSS natuto kami sa mga bagay na hindi namIn inakalang kaya pala namin. Nagkaroon kami ng  napakaraming pagkakataon upang makatulong sa aming barangay.”

Alipio Viloria proudly said this during the Municipal Inter-barangay Forum – Participatory Resource Allocation held last May, where they ranked number one (1). Their proposed sub-project, which  is Communal irrigation System will control the flood in the village during rainy season. With a total of Php 9,119,200.00 from DSWD Grant and Php 156,500.00 from the Local Counterpart Contribution, this project is set to start early August once the money has been downloaded to their Barangay bank account.

Villoria, 47 years old and married with three children, is farmer and as a part time tricycle driver. He has also served his village by being a village police.

 “Simula ng maging volunteer ako sa KALAHI-CIDSS, nagbago na aking pananaw sa buhay. Hindi ko inakalang may magagawa ako para sa aking barangay. “said Villoria.

For him, learning how to process documents, procurement and taxes are some of his great experiences during the seminars and workshops that the program provided. He did not expect that he will experience attending such activities because he did not even finish elementary. “Never in my wildest dreams that I will get the chance to sit down with the people who work for the government and at the same time to create our own project proposals,” he said. 

 With these, he gained self-confidence; he was able to talk in front of a big crowd while discussing their project proposal with confidence.  Now, he believes that he can do much better than being a farmer and a driver.

Their village is situated in a low lying area and during rainy season, the residents experience heavy floods. There were times when they experienced strong floods which resulted to some casualties. There was an instance wherein 10 people from the village were drowned because of heavy rains. Five survived and the other five were dead  and Villoria’s brother was one of them. Since then, when heavy rains or typhoons occur, he gets worried for their safety. 

That is why we are very thankful that our village is one of the beneficiaries of KALAHI-CIDSS, Villoria said. “Malaki ang naitulong ng programa sa mga pagbabago sa aming barangay.  at habang buhay naming pasasalamatan ang KALAHI-CIDSS sa mga ibinigay at ibibigay pang pagbabago sa aming buhay. ### (jdp-KC)