Gina Helen Estuita, 47 of Mansabay Bajo, Lopez Jaena, Misamis Occidental has learned a lesson of not spending beyond her income.

Gina, who is now benefiting from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), disclosed that before the family’s inclusion to the programs, she was forced to borrow money from a micro-lending institution which imposed high interest on her loan to sustain the needs of her family and the operation of her sari-sari store.

To her dismay, Gina has to pay the borrowed money, including the high interest and used the capital and profit of her small store.

Everything changed when SLP was introduced to Gina in July 2012. SLP taught Gina to spend according to her resources under the financial literacy training.
Pantawid Pamilya is a program of the national government through DSWD which invest in the health, education, and nutrition of children while SLP is a strategy which spread prosperity among Listahanan-identified poor families, especially Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program members by engaging them in resource-based and market-driven community micro-enterprises, or explore employment opportunities. Today, there are now 1,718 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in Lopez Jaena town who are also enjoying the benefits of SLP.

Under SLP trainings, they are taught to spend money wisely and to manage efficiently their chosen business.

Now, Gina promised not to borrow money from micro-lending institutions. ###

Written by Oliver Badel Inodeo, DSWD Northern Mindanao

 Misamis Occidental — Violeta Gimena of Biasong, Lopez Jaena, this province, always makes sure to involve her whole family with pottery making, a common business in her community.

Realizing the rich supply of clay soil in her village, Violeta, a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary, set up a small pottery shop.

But, Violeta only earned a minimal income since she cannot cope with the increasing demand of pottery products in the neighboring provinces of Misamis Occidental.

Violeta’s dream of expanding her business was answered when the Department of Social Welfare and Development introduced the Sustainable Livelihood Program to her in April 2012, along with other 105 Pantawid Pamilya family beneficiaries in her fishing village.

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a human investment program of the Department that invests in the education and health of poor families, particularly of children aged 0-18 years old. On the other hand, the SLP is the Department’s livelihood intervention that aids poor families by incapacitating them to become financially and economically stable.

With the P10,000 additional capital, Violeta with her husband Arthur and three children ventured to expand their market in Lanao del Norte and in the neighboring islands of Siquijor and Bohol.

To meet the increasing demands of supply, Violeta hired three workers.

“With my business, the future of my children is secured,” Violeta happily disclosed, adding that, “the price of success is dedication, hardwork, and unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.”

With DSWD intervention, Violeta claimed that, “Kaya naming ang Pagbabago!”###

Today, there are now 1,718 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in Lopez Jaena who are also enjoying the benefits of SLP.

Written by Oliver Badel Inodeo, DSWD Northern Mindanao

Misamis Occidental — Dolores Lawas, 36 of Don Victoriano, a hinterland municipality of Misamis Occidental and 117 kilometers off west of Cagayan de Oro City, used to drink alcohol during her idle time with her friends while playing tong-its, a locally known card game.

Dolores disclosed that for her, life seemed meaningless. “As long as I can eat three times a day, it was okay,” she told.

Her husband Romel is a casual employee of the local government unit of Don Victoriano.

But when Dolores became a beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, more than five years ago, her life gradually changes.

Pantawid Pamilya is the national government’s assistance to poor families that invests in their children’s education and health.

Dolores claimed that the Family Development Session of Pantawid Pamilya guided her to slowly turn away from vices and focus on caring for her three children.

In 2012, Dolores was able to avail benefits from Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) implemented by the DSWD, a reason for her become more focused in improving the well-being of her family. SLP is the DSWD’s livelihood program that helps poor families rise from poverty through capacity building and provision of seed capita.
Dolores put up a carenderia, a small eatery in her town after receiving P10,000 loan from SLP.

After a year of operation, Dolores expanded her eatery into a refreshment shop. She is now earning P3,500 a week, higher compared to the weekly income of P2,000 during her first year of running her own business.

“I will never stop dreaming and working hard because success comes to those who go for it,” said Dolores in Cebuano.

Dolores added that DSWD touched and changed her life.

Today, there are now 740 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in Don Victoriano who are also enjoying the benefits of SLP.###

Written by Oliver Badel Inodeo, DSWD Northern Mindanao

In view of the 2nd round nationwide household assessment, the Department of Social Welfare and Development is currently hiring field staff for the following vacant positions with the following minimum qualification standards/Competency-based requirements:

NATIONAL HOUSEHOLD TARGETING SYSTEM FOR POVERTY REDUCTION / LISTAHANAN (CONTRACT OF SERVICE)

(66) AREA COORDINATORS

* Graduate of any four (4) year social science course or allied profession
* Good interviewing and listening skills
* At least one (1) year experience in managing and supervising people
* With Conflict resolution and management skills
* With experience in LGU engagement
* Initiative to learn and contribute to the success of the project
* Team player
* Good report writing skills
* Knowledgeable in local language or dialects of the province
* Computer literate
* Resident of the province of assignment
* Willing to be deployed in far-flung or remote areas of the province
* Physically fit (health certificate from government hospital/clinic needed)
* Preference will be given to previously hired Area Coordinators or Area
Supervisors

Duration of Engagement: Engagement will be for ninety (90) days with a possibility of extension of 15 days

(331) AREA SUPERVISORS

* Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science or allied profession
* Good interviewing and communication skills
* At least six (6) months experience in managing and supervising people
* Resident to the province where s/he will be assigned
* Computer literate
* Initiative to learn and contribute to the success of the Project
* Team Player
* Willing to be deployed in far-flung or remote areas of the province
* Good report writing skills
* Knowledgeable in local language or dialects of the province
* Physically fit (health certificate from government hospital/clinic needed)
* Conflict resolution and management skills
* Preference will be given to previously hired Area Coordinators or Enumerators

Duration of Engagement: Engagement will be for sixty (60) days with a possibility of extension up to 15 days

(1654) ENUMERATORS
* Completed at least two (2) years of college education or its equivalent
* Preferably with experience in the conduct of household assessment or similar
projects/activities or related tasks
* Must be a resident in the province where s/he will be assigned to
* Must be able to write legibly
* A team player
* Physically fIt (health certificate from government hospital/clinic)
* Willing to be deployed in far-flung or remote areas within the province
* Knowledgeable in local languages or dialects used in the province
* Must possess good interviewing and listening skills

Duration of Engagement : Engagement will be for thirty (30) days with a possibility of extension up to 15 days

(227) ENCODERS

* Completed at least two (2) years of college education or its equivalent
* Preferably with experience in the conduct of household assessment or
similar project/activities or related tasks
* Must be a resident in the province where s/he will be assigned to
* Must be a team player
* Must have the initiative to learn and contribute to the success of the Project
* Above average encoding speed

Duration of engagement: Engagement shall be for thirty (30) days with a possibility of extension up to 15 days

(227) VERIFIERS

* Completed as least two (2) years in college
* Must be a resident of the city/municipality where s/he will be assigned to
* Must be a team player
* Must have the initiative to learn and contribute to the success of the Project
* Above average encoding speed

Duration of Engagement : Engagement shall be for thirty (30) days with a possibility of extension up to 15 days.

For those who are interested to apply they may submit personally their application requirements (Transcript of Records, Resume, Application letter addressed to: ATTY .ARACELI F.SOLAMILLO, Regional Director-DSWD Field Office 10,Masterson Avenue, Upper Carmen , Cagayan de Oro City) to the Regional office . They may also visit and post their queries to DSWD Northern Mindanao facebook page or thru the website: www.fo10.dswd.gov.ph or call thru landline no. 858-8134.

Written by Mitzie S.Santiago, DSWD

El Salvador City – Five years ago, Girlie Claudel, Medalla Ladoroz, Catche Quilab, and Devina Gruta of this city shared the same difficulty in life: providing food on their family tables, sending their children to school, and maintaining a good home for their families.

But today, these five housewives can now say that their lives have become better – thanks to Listahanan, the household targeting system run by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Listahanan is a management database system that generates a list of who and where the poor households are in the Philippines. These names, which underwent through household assessement, validation, and proxy meant tests in the DSWD system, now become potential beneficiaries of various social protection programs, not only those implemented by the Department, but as well as those run by local government units, other national government agencies, civil society and non-government organizations.

In Northern Mindanao, 338,749 households were identified by the Listahanan as poor. They have been determined through a number of variables, ranging from their access to basic facilities, economic and financial stability, education, health, and shelter, among others.

Because the Listahanan data can be utilized by various social protection providers, with the condition that they forge a Memorandum of Agreement with the DSWD, poor households under the Listahanan data may now have greater opportunities to benefitting to social services.

Girlie, Medalla, Catche, and Devina are four women whose households were identified in the Listahanan Data. Because of this, they have become beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program which helps them send their children to school, maintain their children’s health and wellness, and in strengthening family ties. Moreover, they are also enjoying livelihood benefits from the Department’s Sustainable Livelihood Program: Medalla, Catche, and Devina are members of the Bolisong SKA – an association that produces “Duhat” Wine, while Girlie, on the other hand, is now managing her own sari-sari store, both of which are funded by the Department.

According to them, they are also enjoying social services and protection programs implemented by their city government. They said that they are also enjoying free medical services and hospitalization, free medicines, undergo free capability workshops and short-term courses facilitated by their city local government partners.

“Tungod sa tabang sa nasudnong panggobyerno ug sa lokal nga pangagamhanan, nabatunan namo ang mga oportunidad nga mapalambo namo ang among kahimtang isip pamilya. Tungod sa ilang tabang, dako na ang akong pagtuo nga kaya nako ang kabag-uhan (Because of the help extended to us by the national and local government, we were able to gain opportunities to improve the conditions of our families. Because of their help, my faith that I can make a change in our lives has strengthened), Girlie says. “Kaya gyud diay namo ang pagbabago.”

Written by Charmaine P. Tadlas, DSWD