Mayor Hadja Eleanor Lantud of Pantao Ragat, Lanao del Norte recently visited the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office X to inquire on the enrolment process of KALAHI CIDSS-National Community Driven Development Program. The program aims to empower communities to be involved in development initiatives and improve local governance at the same time.

Oroquieta City – Rizalyn “Bebot” Real and his 16-year-old son, Jokring, who had a bone fracture due to an accident, was discharged from the hospital and no bill was charged to the mother after his son’s surgery.

Being an on-call utility worker, Bebot was reluctant about bringing her son to the hospital since she knew she could not afford to pay for any hospital bill, let alone for a bone surgery operation that costs far more than what she earns. “But when I heard that Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries can avail Philhealth benefits, I had to try and bring my son to the hospital, rather than just see him in so much pain.”

Bebot recalled that she only presented her son’s birth certificate and her Pantawid Pamilya identification card to the hospital’s admission office. “I was assured then that Jokring is going to be okay,” she says.

A mother’s love and responsibility

Bebot is a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary since 2009 and is receiving P800 on a monthly basis from the Department of Social Welfare and Development for one of his son’s education and health.

For five years, Bebot has been attending the Family Development Sessions required by the Program. According to her, she learned that being a mother is more than just feeding her children, but rather being there for them socially, emotionally and spiritually as well.

“My relationship with my four children has dramatically changed for the better. I learned that the more I paid my attention to their dreams and ambitions and the more I am involved in their social lives, I gain their respect, and I am treated like I am their best friend,” she shares.

Bebot also shares that she is very supportive towards Jokring’s dream to attend college, get a good-paying job, and someday be able to buy their own house. “That is why I make sure that he continuously attends his classes and help him study his lessons. I also make sure that each day his dreams get closer to becoming real.” Jokring was enrolled with Pantawid Pamilya in 2012.

Help in time of need

The past summer, Jokring had an accident during one of his basketball games with his friends. He fractured his arm and was brought to the hospital only to find out that he needed to have a steel plate attached to his fractured bone.

Bebot could not describe how relieved she was when the hospital staff told her that everything has been taken care of. She did not need to pay anything for her son’s operation.

“I could have paid more than P25,000 for that surgery alone, but because I am a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary, I was exempted from paying it.” Today, Jokring is now recuperating from his operation and is now attending school.

Bebot continues to work as a utility worker for offices that requires her services. She said that regardless of her low income, it did not stop her from providing the needs of her children – for school and for their health.

“Kaya ko ang pagbabago,” she says” dahil natutulongan ko ang pag-aaral, kalusugan, kapakanan ng aking mga anak kahit mababa lang ang sahod ko.”

Written by Charmaine P. Tadlas

Cagayan de Oro City — A beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here revealed that she was engaged in illegal gambling that almost ruin her family life.

Now she says she has turned her life around and is advocating for reform, helping other beneficiary use cash grants prudently.

Marjorie Yecyec, a parent advocate of DSWD Northern Mindanao, said her life changes when her family becomes beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilya in 2008 under Set 1.

Marjorie, who lives in Macabalan in this city, believes that the DSWD has taught her to work harder, to be diligent in what she does, and to be participative in community works.

“The Family Development Session has changed my life dramatically,” said Yecyec, who also disclosed that she used to drink alcohol before with her neighbors.

“The FDS teaches us on how we can improve our lives and protect ourselves from risks, especially when our City Link Majalalil Flores and other resource speakers discussed on various topics like disaster preparedness, family relationships and marriage, good and effective parenting, community participation, health, among others,” she said.

Marjorie, a barangay police officer and community health navigator of the Department of Health, claimed that she has more time now with her four daughters despite her hectic schedule.

Marjorie, along with her neighbor and fellow parent advocate, Elsa Sabellana, is a regular resource person for DSWD during interviews with media practitioners.

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a human development program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor households, particularly of children aged 0-18 years old. It provides a monthly cash grant of a maximum of P1,400 for qualified households provided that they comply with the conditions set by the program. Families who fail to comply with certain conditions will not receive the benefit corresponding to the conditions and are given reminders by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the implementing agency of the Program.

“With the Pantawid Pamilya cash grants, I am no longer worried about whether I can send my children to school and provide for their health needs. I can now save some of our money, find more ways to earn more,” said Yecyec.

She added that “with Pantawid Pamilya, I can make a difference in my home and in my community!”

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With this year’s theme, “PYAP: Bandila sa Kabatan-onan para sa Kabag-ohan,” the Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines Regional Chapter,celebrated its 40th year Anniversary celebration last August 8-9, 2014 in Gingoog City.
This is an annual celebration wherein youth representatives from major cities, provinces, and municipalities in the region convene and coordinate in sharing the best practices and updates of the various programs intended for the youth in their respective localities.
Participated by 673 youth from various PYAP organizations in region 10, the three-day celebration kicked off with a motorcade around the city of Gingoog City, which hosted the grand celebration.
Assistant Regional Director for Operations, Aldersey dela Cruz, who represented Atty.Araceli Solamillo, in her inspirational message, reminded the youth of their important role being one of the essential sectors in society, and in their involvement towards nation building and development. She further encouraged them to continue doing their share in making their voices be heard and in making initiatives geared towards development.
A welcome Address was also given by Mr. Epifanio Zarate (PYAP Focal-Gingoog City) for and in behalf of Mayor Marie L. Guingona.
Major Highlights of the three-day activity included the lecture on HIV/AIDS awareness by Mr. Romeo Carsedo (CSWDO Gingoog City), and Adolescent Reproductive Health by Mr. Nemesio Agnes from the Commission on Population.
Other activities also included the Festival of Talents wherein youth representatives showcased their talents in poster making, essay writing, and their crafts- making out of indigenous materials and the PYAP Night. Tree planting and volleyball tournament on the third day completed the anniversary celebration.
Written by Mitzie S. Santiago, DSWD

Bukidnon — A hinterland village in Impasug-ong, this province, has started to help the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 10 in monitoring the compliance of beneficiaries to the agency’s programs and services.

Bukidnon – It is always assumed that when it comes to providing food for the family, the fathers are always expected to be on top of it. It is common to see women more involved in community and church activities because, according to the wives, their husbands are “out working and searching for food for the family.”

But in a small village in Barangay Siloo in the municipality of Malitbog, fathers are becoming more visible in community activities as well.

Ajito Manaba, a 49 year old farmer, remembers that when KALAHI-CIDSS under the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Process (GPBP) was implemented in their village sometime in December 2013, he and his neighbors identified that their village needed a Day Care Center.

“It always pains us fathers whenever we see our children leaving our homes in the morning and start trekking up to the next barangay to attend Day Care, which takes about almost an hour by foot,” he says.

He said that because of their anxiety towards their children’s health and security each day, they were driven to build their own Day Care Center through KALAHI-CIDSS-GPBP, a program spearheaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“We did a ‘pahina’ everyday. We changed shifts – father to father,” Ampilo Melgo, also a farmer in their village, shares. “We all wanted to contribute something to this project because we all know that this building is a big help for us fathers.”

On May 15, 2014, their Day Care Center was completed and inaugurated, and is now being used by 40 pupils each day.

The project cost more than P739,000 – of which the P500,000 comes as a grant from the KALAHI-CIDSS GPBP, and P239,000 from the local government unit of Malitbog. The Barangay office also shelled out in-kind contributions through provision of chairs, cabinets, and other furniture.

“I learned that when fathers become more involved in community activities, they are not just helping their own families, but the entire village as well.” Ampilo says. “Now we are more at ease knowing that our children no longer have to walk so many miles just to get to Day Care. They are now attending in our local Day Care Center – built by our own hands.”

“Kaya diay namo ang kabag-ohan kay nakatukod kami ug Day Care Center gikan sa among pagpaningkamot para sa among mga kabataan, (we realized that we can actually make a difference because we built a Day Care Center with our own power and determination for our children,” says Ajitor, who served as the Chairman for the Barangay Sub-project Management Committee created by the villagers themselves.

Written by Charmaine P. Tadlas, DSWD

Cagayan de Oro City – DSWD capacitates legal aid lawyers for enhanced protective services – an initiative by DSWD to strengthen legal service to vulnerable and marginalized individuals whose rights have been violated. The capacity-building was done last June 29-31, 2014 here.

Cagayan de Oro City — A reporting system has been created by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to improve its data collection and dissemination during disasters.

Being the lead in disaster response, particularly on relief, early recovery, and rehabilitation, the DSWD’s staff from Visayas and Mindanao underwent a re-orientation on the disaster reporting system, last July 29-31, 2014, here to familiarize themselves on the system and be prepared for any disasters that may hit the country in the future.

Various applications, which has been developed by its internal information and communications staff, are now being introduced to its workforce, particularly those compatible for the web, non-android and android phones.

DSWD Assistant Secretary Javier Jimenez said that the reporting system enables the Department to collect and process data from the fields and enables it to provide a more accurate and real-time information to its partners and to the public. “We are proactively creating this so that we can now be more efficient in our disaster response whenever calamity strikes our country,” he added.

With the past challenges the country has faced on disaster response in the last four years until present, DSWD is strengthening its services to internally displaced persons and affected communities by applying the new disaster reporting system.###smu