Maida G. Baclayo, the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer of Camiguin, personally welcomes visitors to her office when she is around despite her hectic schedule.

If she is not in the office, she is usually at the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices in the five towns of the island province, doing rounds of technical assistance, aside from meeting the local chief executives of the municipalities, lobbying for the prioritization of social protection programs and services of the Provincial Government of Camiguin.

Miss Baclayo assumed office in February 2016 as PSWDO of Camiguin. She actively supports various DSWD programs and services, working closely with DSWD workers. From leading convergence efforts among national government agencies to lobbying for enormous support to the logistical needs of both DSWD beneficiaries and workers based in the island province, Miss Baclayo gives her all-out support to uplift the lives of the Camiguin residents.

DSWD Field Office X placed eligible residents of the province under 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) in the years of 4Ps implementation. In 2012, a total of 3,254 new set of household beneficiaries from Camiguin enjoyed the expanded program. From then on, the program helped beneficiaries improve their well-being in close collaboration and coordination with the PSWDO of Camiguin.

As of May 31, 2024, there are 5,738 active beneficiaries in Camiguin. The 4Ps Provincial Operations Office of Camiguin has turned over 184 exited and graduated beneficiaries in 2023. Last March, the 4Ps POO turned over a total of 837 exited and graduated to the Provincial Government of Camiguin for continued care and assistance of the beneficiaries, preventing them from falling back into the trap of the inter-generational cycle of poverty.

Inclusion of SWDI Analytics as agenda during PIAC meetings

Miss Baclayo would always preside over the 4Ps Provincial Inter-Agency Meetings in Camiguin since the 4Ps were implemented in Camiguin to lead in passing resolutions supporting the implementation of the province, attending concerns of the local chief executives and national government agencies, and resolving gaps of the implementation.

When administering the Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI) to the beneficiaries, Miss Baclayo always asked for the administration’s results, asking for the analytics so that PSWDO and the Provincial Government, as a whole, could design an approach and implement interventions that would help uplift the well-being of those in need.

The analytics serve as the basis of PSWDO’s targeting and identification of their social services.

During their quarterly meetings, Miss Baclayo also presented and discussed the SWDI Analytics with the PIAC members, the mayors, and their respective Municipal Planning and Development Officers.

Allocation of budget specific for 4Ps in the Provincial Work and Financial Plan

The PSWDO and the Provincial Government firmly support facilitating meetings during PIAC and other 4Ps-related activities. The PSWDO, with the approval of Governor Xavier Jesus D. Romualdo, allocated funds inclusive of 4Ps workers and 4Ps beneficiaries.

In 2023, PSWDO allocated P98,000 for 4Ps implementation in its Annual Investment Plan for 4Ps–related activities, while this year, PSWDO and the Provincial Government of Camiguin allocated P100,000. Of this amount, P40,000 goes to food and supplies for 4Ps collaboration and coordination-related meetings and P60,000 for the Reward for Exemplary 4Ps households and support to Parent Leaders.

Supply-side augmentation and provision of Complementary Suppor Services to 4Ps beneficiaries

The strong support of the Provincial Government of Camiguin has remained strong since the start of the program’s implementation on the island.

The PSWDO provided motorcycles to the 4Ps POO Camiguin to help the workers who are monitoring the implementation, to reach the beneficiaries who are living in the hinterland areas of the island, and to help the workers reach local officers who are visiting far-flung areas of the island.

Through Governor Romualdo, the Provincial Government of Camiguin provided spacious office space for 4Ps, the Sustainable Livelihood Program, Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, and other DSWD programs and services.

In addition, the PSWDO would always provide a venue and food for 4Ps RPMO workers monitoring the program’s implementation in the island province.

MOA with DSWD to provide Complementary Support Services to 4Ps beneficiaries

The Provincial Government Unit of Camiguin and PSWDO formally inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the DSWD Field Office X on April 5, 2024, to strengthen the partnership between DSWD, specifically 4Ps, and the local government unit, ensuring supplementary support and post-services for 4Ps beneficiaries.

The agreement is a participatory and transparent program to build greater government accountability to citizens while ensuring efficient and effective delivery results.

The agreement also encourages the municipalities to adopt the Kilos-Unlad Case Management Strategy by issuing ordinances and resolutions within their jurisdiction.

Recently, the MOA paved the way for providing livelihood assistance from Representative Jurdin Jesus Romualdo of the Lone District of Camiguin’s congressional initiatives to the exited and graduated 4Ps beneficiaries.

Not only that, exited and graduated 4Ps beneficiaries have become the priority of the PSWDO’s social protection programs and services. No 17

Assist in Federating the 4Ps Self-Help Groups at the Provincial Level

The Provincial Governor of Camiguin, Xavier Jesus Romualdo, issued Executive Order No 17, reconstituting the Provincial Council for the Protection of Children of Camiguin.

The said Executive Order includes 4Ps Parent Leader as representative for parents. The order gives voice to 4Ps Parent Leaders in the council as a representative.

The 4Ps Parent Leader could bring concerns of the program beneficiaries at the provincial level.

The current 4Ps Parent Leader representative is Dometila O. Manuel of Catarman, Camiguin.

Database or tag 4Ps Beneficiaries in the PLGU’s existing database for monitoring of programs and services provided to the 4Ps beneficiaries

The PSWDO maintains a database of 4Ps beneficiaries who availed of their local social welfare services and programs.

The PSWDO shares the database with the 4Ps POO of Camiguin.

That means that of the 5,738 active 4Ps beneficiaries of the island province, 4,374, or 81.33%, have availed themselves of the LSWDO’s programs and services.

Conduct Convergence Planning or Similar Activities

The PSWDO, through the quarterly PIAC meetings, regularly meets the representatives of national government agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders.

However, the convergence efforts continue.

Executive Order No: 39, signed by Governor Xavier Jesus Romualdo on May 8, 2023, reconstituted the composition of the Provincial Inter-Agency Committee for the Convergence of the Social Protection Programs of DSWD in Camiguin.

The Executive Order sees the necessity of reconstituting the inter-agency committee to foster and enable the convergence of DSWD’s social protection programs, including 4Ps, being implemented in the island province.

The functions of the committee include conducting regular meetings and special meetings if necessary, coordinating the implementation of the social protection program in the province to ensure the attainment of the respective objectives, fostering, enabling, and implementing the DSWD Convergence Strategy in the province, develop policies, systems, and procedures, including monitoring tools to sustain convergence in the implementation of social protection programs and make legislative proposals on the matter to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Also, the committee acts as the provincial grievance committee for implementing the DSWD’s SP programs to address and resolve grievances, queries, and complaints elevated to the provincial level.

Provision of the honorarium/incentives to the 4Ps Parent Leaders

The Provincial Government of Camiguin, through the PSWDO, provides the venue, food and accommodation, and travel expenses to the 4Ps Parent Leaders who would attend training in any 4Ps-related activities in the province.

Additionally, the PSWDO provides capability-building activities for 4Ps Parent Leaders.

The PSWDO also provides Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya winners and 4Ps Exemplary winners cash assistance as incentives, traveling allowance for winners and guardians, and other needs.

Finally, the Best 4Ps Parent Leader will be given P30,000.

Facilitate PIAC Functionality (meetings, policies, Provincial Action Plan, etc.)

The PSWDO regularly meets with representatives of national government agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders through the quarterly PIAC meetings.

Minutes of the meetings have been compiled, especially those for the actions of the different stakeholders.

The minutes become the basis for following up on legislation, resolving grievances, and pursuing other options.

The provincial governor has issued various executive orders, drafted and approved a Provincial Work Plan for PSWDO to meet the 4Ps SWDI targets in the island province, and allocated the budget to the identified activities.

Also, the PIAC has formulated policies, ensured data management for interventions, and augmented resources and technical assistance to MSWDOs on the island.

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