The Department of Social Welfare and Development has turned-over the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) data to the municipality of Baras in Catanduanes last March 15, 2013.

Honorable Mayor Chito S. Chi and Municipal Social Welfare & Development Officer Ms. Jean Triumfante received the electronic copy of NHTS-PR data based on its first assessment in 2009.

NHTS-PR is an information management system that identify who and where the poor are in the country. The system makes database of poor households as reference in identifying potential beneficiaries of social protection programs. It aims to establish an objective targeting system and reduce the leakage of social services to non-poor and minimize exclusion of the poor.

The National Household Targeting Unit (NHTU) has identified 461,242 poor households covering the 6 provinces of Bicol region.

Pursuant to Executive Order No. 867 issued in March 2010 has directed all National Government Agencies (NGAs) to adopt the results of NHTS-PR in identifying prospective beneficiaries for their social protection programs nationwide.

A memorandum of agreement has been forged between DSWD Field Office 5 and the municipal government of Baras for the use of NHTS-PR data of poor households.

To date, the municipality of Baras was the first to sign a memorandum of agreement for the use of NHTS-PR data in the province of Catanduanes.

Furthermore, Mr.Abejuro informed the local government unit that in connection with the upcoming election, a moratorium on MOA signing was imposed relative to data sharing which already started from February 12 until May 13, 2013. This is being done to protect the integrity of the NHTS-PR database and to ensure its data utilization. ###crbarrameda

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Believing that every child needs a loving and caring family, the Department of Social Welfare and Development is enhancing public awareness on the growing number of orphaned, abandoned or neglected Filipino children in need of love and permanent families.

The department likewise promote, widens and intensifying adoption and foster care of these children in the absence of their biological parents.

In a Foster Care and Adoption Forum held at DSWD Field Office 5, Buraguis Legazpi City recently, Ms. Arlene Chua, SWO II and Focal Person of the Adoption Resource and Referral Section explained that the department is gender sensitive. Applicants for foster care and adoption will not be judge on his/her sexual representation as long as he/she has shown enthusiasm for wanting to care for a child.

The forum was also a venue for prospective adoptive parents to clarify issues and concern about adoption and foster care. It also encourages couples or parents of right age to legally adopt in order to reduce the rising number of orphaned, neglected and abandoned children in the country.

Foster care is the provision of substitute parental care to a child by licensed foster family when his/her biological parents are unable to care for them while adoption is a socio-legal process of providing a permanent family to a child whose parents have voluntarily or involuntarily relinquished their parental authority over the child.

“Legal adoption is for the best interest of the children. It will provide them with the assurance of the protection provided by the state and will protect them from abuses and harshness”, Mr. Kenjie Andal, an adoptive father of a three year old girl proudly beams that God had made couples like he and his wife Stephanie because there are children who will need them.

Blessing in disguise 

“ I considered my family blessed because after 9 years of marriage….waiting to have a baby, Rain was given to us.

Kenjie also shared that their marriage was almost in a rock. They have very limited time for each other having both busy in their work. She is a dentist here in Albay while he works as a Corporate Planning Head in Manila. “We do not have family which we can call our own, “he added.

Kenjie said that for him a family is composed of a father, mother and children be it natural born or adopted.

The realization of dreams

June 30, 2011 was a lucky day for us. It was a day when I received a call from my wife that there is a baby at home (in Bicol). It was “Rain”. Rain because it was raining hard when a skinny baby about 1 year and 9 months, wrapped in a plastic bag was given to us.

“Having a child of their own is one of the fondest dreams of the couple. According to them having Rain in their lives is a realization of their dream.

Rain is the realization that parenthood is not just bearing a child but it is giving the best love and care to the children.

“The best thing that happened in my life was when I heard Rain called me Papa”Kenjie exclaimed.

As expressed by Stephanie and Kenjie, the best way of really expressing their love for Rain is to ensure that we will be able to provide security blanket that will protect her from any threat or being left abandoned again so that we decided to legalize our parental authority over her.

The long process of legally having Rain is worth it. We are praying hard to have another baby….a natural born, but if we will not be able to have it,” I know that the DSWD is always ready to help us look for another “Rain” in our life.” Kenjie disclosed.###eejerusalem/crbarrameda

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The month of March is special for Filipino women. What makes the month truly special is the country’s observance of Women’s Month. Pursuant to Proclamation no.224 series of 1998 declares the month of March each year as Women’s Month and March 8 as Women’s Rights and International Peace Day. Proclamation no. 227 series of 1998 provided for the observance of the month of March as Women’s Role in the History month and Republic Act 6949 is the National Translation of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) toward achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

In consonance with President Benigno Aquino’s pursuit and vision of “tuwid na daan”, the theme adopted for the 2013 Women’s Month Celebration is “  Kababaihan, Gabay sa Pagtahak sa Tuwid na Daan”. This theme underscores the need to accelerate women’s participation in governance and enhance gender perspective in upholding good governance. It highlights the importance of strengthening the mechanisms and institution that support women and to widen the arena for their participation. This year’s celebration aims to a.) highlight women’s leadership roles, participation in decision-making and participation in the political arena, peace building and conflict resolution b.) to build upon the gains achieved under existing mechanisms and institutions that support women and gender responsive governance and c.) strengthen partnership with media in promoting women’s rights and in advocating to address gender issues.

Led by Legazpi City Mayor Geraldine Rosal and DSWD Assistant Director Felix M. Armeña, the month long celebration was kicked off with a fun walk last March 8, 2013.

Unmindful of drizzle and cold wind, about hundred persons representing 21 member agencies of the RIACAT-VAWC joined the fun walk which started at Embarcadero de Legazpi to the Rock Port of the city. This was followed by a short program and “Hataw” which was led by DOH.

Other lined-up activities are:

To culminate the month’s activity is the “ Tipon-Tipan on Women, a live forum at the PIA office.###eeferusalem/smu/dswdfo5.

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Twenty two survivors, mostly teachers were rescued in a passenger pump boat that capsized in the town of Bacacay in Albay late Friday afternoon of March 8, 2013. Four people died in the accident.

The four fatalities were identified as Jeffrey Osorio,a census enumerator of NSO,  Emerlita Barrameda,a teacher, Diego Crisol, the boat captain and a minor Liza Espenisin. All residents of Bacacay.

Report said, just one kilometer off the coast of Poblacion, Bacacay, an engine failure suddenly occurred, causing panic among passengers.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development extends support to the victims of the capsized boat by conducting critical incidence stress debriefing (CISD). They also provided financial assistance as well as food packs to the bereaved families.

Survivors rescued, mostly teachers experienced trauma caused by last Friday’s accident. The DSWD will coordinate with the Department of Education for the conduct of critical incidence stress debriefing (CISD) to the said teachers.
###marizpaesteCIU/crbarramedaSMU.

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Letty and her husband belong to the dark-skinned, short in statue and kinky haired individuals called “ AGTA”. They are settled in a hinterland barangay of San Ramon, Iriga City.

Letty’s family were among the 13 families drifted from the Black Village, in Santiago, Iriga City  by the National Commission for Indigenous People (NCIP).

Their houses are made of wood, most of them out of thin three trunks that are found around the area. Most of these are not separated by rooms and can barely accommodate an average family of eight people. They just have floor spaces where the family does all their activities like sleeping and eating their meals.

Letty and husband depend on the earth for survival. They are farmers by heart because it is the kind of environment they were born into. They produce few crops such as cassava, camote, rice and vegetables. Letty bared that their harvest is just enough for the family consumption. To augment the family income, her husband work as hired laborer for other farmers in the neighboring barangay.

It is an awe inspiring dream for Letty to send her children to school.” Isa sa aking pangarap ay ang makapag-aral ang aking mga anak. Ayaw kong matulad sila sa aming  mag-asawa na hindi nkapag-aral”Letty disclosed. She admits that she cannot give her aspiration outright because of the status she is in.

Children’s education is limited in the tribe. Oftentimes, most children fail to attend sessions due to geographical reasons. The centers and schools are too far for the children to  walk everyday.

Likewise, aside from having proper education, health services are a concept that is not popular to them mainly because they have no access to medication. The hilot or “herbolario” ( Quack Doctors) are the most accessible health service providers because their method of assessment is in accordance to their culture.

These concerns for health and education of Letty’s children were responded. Educational assistance were provided by the National Commission for Indigenous People      ( NCIP) and DSWD through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

Letty’s family is one among the Indigenous People families in Barangay San Ramon who became Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries. She was filled with joy and hope because she is now assured of her children’s education.

The family recounts of their life before the Pantawid Pamilya. “ Their life was in extreme poverty”. “ Kahit mahirap, kailangan naming magsikap para maitaguyod ko ang aking mga anak sa kanilang pag-aaral.” Letty recounts.

Seeing her children in school and have a better life in the future is Letty’s big dream.

With the Pantawid Pamilya, Letty became conscious of the family’s health condition. Though there is much to be done, through her and his husband’s attendance to the Family Development Sessions, the health practices and parenting skills of the dela Cruz’ couple will be much improving.

Letty further relates that with the Pantawid Pamilya, she is not only confined at home doing her daily routine and her husband working in the farm. Now, they have learned to integrate with people, join community activities and likewise attend meetings when called.

These IP Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries and the rest in the tribe are now able to correct the common mistake made by outsiders which they think the IP’s still dwell in their primitive world, still dressed in their traditional garb. But now, they have already adapted the fashion in the community.###eejerusalem

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The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) will fund the construction of additional classrooms in areas where Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) was previously implemented.

A total of 83 classrooms and day care centers (DCCs) will be constructed in the first semester of 2013 to better address the educational needs of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) children .

Beneficiary barangays were identified through the community driven development (CDD) approach employed by Kalahi-CIDSS.

Kalahi-CIDSS is a CDD Project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) wherein communities collectively gathes data on their existing conditions, analyze identified issues, and define appropriate development interventions to address  their needs. Barangay assemblies are conducted to validate these findings.

Through Kalahi-CIDSS, community empowerment is ensured by giving people authority and control over decisions and resources of their community.

With a total grant of PhP 89,760,000.00, AusAID will be piloted in the municipalities of Donsol, Claveria, Libon, Pioduran, Manito, Rapu-Rapu, Palanas, and Cataingan during the first semester of 2013.

Kalahi-CIDSS, 4Ps, and Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) are the core social protection programs of DSWD. The convergence of these programs aims to enhance the department’s contribution in the achievement of a more sustainable and tangible impact on poverty reduction in the country. ###jmarbella

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The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 5 through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) continuously reaches out to stakeholders, local government units and partners to use the NHTS-PR database in identifying beneficiaries of their social protection programs.

Series of orientations were conducted. In Donsol, Sorsogon last Nov.22, 2012, in San Pascual, Masbate last Jan.10, 2013 and in Cabusao, Camarines Sur last Feb.26, 2013 during the Municipal Advisory Committee (MAC) meetings of each municipality. Likewise, re-orientations to Local Chief Executives were implemented in the municipalities of Vinzons, Capalonga, San Vicente and Sta. Elena in Camarines Norte last February 5-8, 2013.

The NHTU laid down a common understanding about the NHTS-PR and clarified numerous issues and concerns about the program. This also served as venue to encourage the stakeholders to adopt the database in the implementation of their poverty reduction projects and the execution of the convergence strategy of DSWD.

According to Mr. Ciriaco B. Abejuro, NHTS-PR Regional Focal Person, “Strengthening the advocacy implementation like orientations, meetings, radio guestings, distribution of information, education & communication (IEC) materials, press releases and consultation dialogues will be our main focus as part of the advocacy for NHTS-PR.”

The Municipal Advisory Committee (MAC) is an organization composed of municipal mayor as the chairman, the municipal social welfare officer (MSWDO), planning and development coordinator, school district supervisor, local government officer and school heads of covered barangays as members. Its function is to discuss matters pertaining to program implementation as well as problems to the respective areas.

At present, 5 local government units (Sorsogon, Albay, San Pascual, Mobo, Sto.Domingo) and 2 Non-Government organizations (LCC & Tzu Chi Foundation) have entered into Memorandum of Agreement while 75 LGU’s requested and was provided with statistics data.###crbarrameda

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In support to the government thrust to provide a sustainable intervention to improve the plight and condition of the youth, the DSWD-TESDA Cash for Training project was launched in Donsol, Sorsogon last February 12, 2013.

Regional Director Conrado Bares of TESDA and Arnel B. Garcia who led the launching ceremony was joined by Donsol Vice Mayor Emetrio Belmonte Jr., Mr, Ramon Razo, Secretary of the Mayor, Ms. Myra Relativo, Asst. PSWDO of Sorsogon, MSWDO Arlene Berdin and other LGU officials.

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