The Department of Social Welfare and Development‘s re certification of poor households nationwide which was initially scheduled next year, has been moved much sooner to October of this year.

The National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction National Project Management Office had already confirmed that the department is preparing for the conduct of household assessment commencing this October during their mid year Project Review and Evaluation Workshop.

USEC Villar speaking before the NHTS-PR RPMO Staff from all regions during the mid year Performance Review and Evaluation Workshop held in General Santos City from July 2-6, 2013.

Undersecretary Florita Villar, the Deputy Project Director of NHTS-PR said that in preparation of said re certification, the management has been working on the enhancement of system and the Household Assessment Form (HAF) wherein from 32 questions, there will now be 44 questions that will serve as variables in determining the classification of household as poor or non-poor.

The preparatory phase of the project will start with the pooling of field staff. With this, the Regional Household Targeting Unit IX will be needing 2,067 area coordinators, area supervisors, enumerators, encoders and verifiers to do the assessment on 688,495 target households subject for assessment in Region IX along. Whereas areas of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi with 335,000 target households will hire 1,040 on-ground staff.

The National Project Management Office mandates all regions to prioritize NSO accredited enumerators to man the enumerations since they have relevant background in doing household interviews and the like. However, all interested applicants are still encouraged to submit their application letters and other pertinent documents so long as they meet the following minimum requirements:

AREA COORDINATOR

– Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science

– At least two (2) years experience in a supervisory role

– Excellent communications and writing skills

– Experience in conflict resolution / mediation work

– Computer literate with knowledge and skills on Microsoft Office

AREA SUPERVISOR

– Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science

– Above average interviewing and writing skills

– At least one (1) years experience in a supervisory role

– Experience in conflict resolution / mediation work

– Computer literate with knowledge and skills on Microsoft Office

ENUMERATOR

– Completed at least two (2) years in college

– Good interviewing and communication skills

– Resident of the municipality where s/he will be assigned

– Computer literate with knowledge and skills on Microsoft Office

– Must have initiative to learn and contribute to the success of the project

ENCODER & VERIFIER

– Completed at least two (2) years in college

– Must have initiative to learn and contribute to the success of the project

– Encoding speed of at least 35 words per minute.

Interested applicants may submit their Personal Data Sheet at the DSWD Regional Office IX. Deadline of submission will be on July 31, 2013.

The enumeration will be followed by the On Demand Application (ODA) for the households who believe they are poor but were not assessed as well as the validation of data gathered during the regular assessment. In this way we can ensure the quality of data collected before sharing it with other agencies and organizations for selection of social protection beneficiaries.

The National Household Targeting System is an information management system that identifies who and where the poor are in the country.

Lola Felisa speaks on life with Social Pension :
“I pray to God that (He) will extend my life so I could still enjoy my Social Pension benefits!”

Lola Felisa’s disposition on life changed after she started receiving Social Pension benefits.  After years of working hard for her sustenance and other needs, she now receives a P500 monthly augmentation support from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The Social Pension program which was implemented by the government since 2011 caters to indigent senior citizens–77 years old and above.  Quarterly releases in lumped sum of P1,500 are personally handed to the elderlies who were identified through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) of the DSWD.

Eighty-two year-old Felisa Tampos of Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur, was among the qualified seniors and until now are receiving this financial grant from the government.

During the Media Forum in Pagadian City last June 18, 2013, Lola Felisa, wearing a simple white polo shirt, looking neat and physically-well for her age,  professed her gratitude to the Social Pension Program for the assistance given to the senior citizens.  “Dako akong pasalamat kay makapalit na ko ug bugas, tambal ug uban pang kinahanglan” (I am grateful because now I could buy rice, medicines and other necessities).

Speaking before media practitioners, Lola Felisa recounted highlights of her life.  She was a former day care worker, an active elderly in community activities and a supportive member of their local Senior Citizens’ organization.   When she was already too old to teach in the DCC, she would source her income from other menial tasks and small businesses such as vending.

More in the local dialect, Lola Felisa articulated her concern for other senior citizens who desire to be recipients of the program.  On the other hand, she expressed her joy being one of the recipients as accordingly, this has given her something to enjoy, something to look forward to each day.

“Salamat pod sa gobyerno kay gi atiman mi mga tigulang, ug wala mi gibyaan.” (Thanks to the government for looking after our needs).   In a quivering voice, Lola Felisa asserted that the program is a show of support and concern to the senior citizens of the country.

That afternoon, the media saw not a frail and destitute old woman, but a charmingly-aging and empowered lady – Lola Felisa — speaking in behalf of the millions of Social Pensioners, an epitome of a senior in the pink of health, who despite financial incapability’s, managed to live life to the fullest.

AdiyaAman, 27 years old, a housewife, lives with her husband Molo and 3 children. Their situation is considered extremely different unlike that of thousands of poor in the city. Adiya’sfamily used to live by the sidewalk with a piece of carton. For them the carton they own is considered a treasure as this serves as their comfy mattress at night and a roof during the rainy days. Molo works as a barangay maintenance with a very minimal income that could hardly sustain the needs of his family. Leo, 7 years old, being the eldest son of Adiya and Molodid not have the chance for schooling because of the situation of the family. “It pains me to see my son begging for food in the street, Every time I see my children running after each customer asking for their left overs, it crushes my heart, hoping I could afford to buy food for my children from fast food chain.” Shared Adiya. She added that a bright future for her children is seemed next to imposible.

Until the Modified conditional cash transfer came in the early 2013, Adiya’s family was targeted and was included in the CSO implementing partner, the Human Development and Empowerment Services (HDES).  Driven by the motivation to avail the financial assistance of the program, Adiya religiously complied with all the conditionalities, Leo started schooling and has a regular check-up in their barangay health center. “ If before we’re staying by the side walk with our carton, now my husband built a small “mesa” (table) where we can stay on top at night for sleeping and under it during rainy days. A much sturdy piece of protection out from the grants we received from the program”. Adiya said. “That table will serve as an inspiration for us to strive harder to uplift our lives somehow”.Adiya and her husband Molo is planning to save a little from their grants to start a small business.Thiswill help them out with the daily expenses of their family. Putting a small store that sells cigarettes, candies and several others will augment the expenses of the family. A dream that the family had never imagined in becoming into a reality.

DSWD Modified Conditional Cash Transfer to register Sabah Displaced Families

The Department of Social Welfare and Development in coordination with the Municipal Social Welfare Development from Basilan, Jolo and Tawi-Tawi and DSWD Provincial Operations Offices convined a planning workshop to respond to the needs of the Sabah Displaced Families. The Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) is a program that provides financial assistance to families affected by difficult circumstances. Families in need of special protection for MCCT includes those who were victims of manmade and natural made calamities, IP migrant families, informal setllers and families with children with disabilities, street children, out of school, child labor, abandoned, abused and children who were victims of other forms of exploitation.

The Modified CCT will be implemented by the field offices in collaboration with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the region who have the capacity and existing program for Families in Need of Special Protection. The Sabah displaced families will be given priority to be included in the said program with the same conditionalities as that of the regular conditional cash transfer. A biometric enrolment will serve as mode of registration for the Sabah dispaced families due to lack of pertinent documents being an undocumented workers in Malaysia. With this kind of registration potential beneficiaries will be authomatically registered with their fingerprints as proof of their identity. The system has also a security features to ensure the data information of the potential grantee of the program.

Usec. Hashim Taradji, in her welcome message expressed the biggest challenge for DSWD field workers to respond and extend social services to the displaced families. “There’s so much of us to do to strengthen and widen our efforts in ther delivery of services to the poor and disadvantaged, DSWD should take lead in the implementation of programs and services like the MCCT and the Pantawid Pamilya” Asec. Taradji added.

The two-day planning wokshop culminated with a work plan from different provincial areas like Jolo, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan including Zamboanga City. The workshop aims to draft an action plan on the different possible activities and projects catering the needs of the Sabah displaced families. It also aims to include the roles of the different government agencies in making the work plan more tangible and effective.

Snapshots of the event from Top Left :DSWD Assistant Secretary -Mr. TeoduloRomo ,Mr.DeograciasMarangga of FIDA, Mr. Henry Tianero of DOLE, Mr.Cesario Sayre of ABCDE Foundation, Mr. Michael Gahum of DPWH-IX, Pledge of Commitment signed by Stakeholders, SLP PDO’s, and other participants.

The Sustainable Livelihood Program – RegionalProject Management Office of DSWD Field Office IX held its first everSemi-Annual Regional Partnership Forum (Part 1) last April 25, 2013 at the Bamboo Garden Social Hall and Catering, Dipolog City. The event was participated by 20 invited agencies/institutions/organizations coming from the NGA’s, CSO’s and Private sector in the region.

The objectives of the said event was to present updates on the partnership projects implemented in the region, share challenges encountered in the implementation, recognize best practices in the projects implemented, and to list commitments made by existing and potential partners for possible engagements with DSWD through SLP.

During the event, existing partners presented their current accomplishments on the different partnerships projects they have with DSWD while potential partners also presented the services which they can offer to the beneficiaries of 4P’s in the region. Questions and healthy discussions were made during the open forum after the presentation of different partners. The event was participated by; the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA), Department of Agriculture (DA), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), City Environment and Natural Resources Office Dipolog City (CENRO-Dipolog), ROTEO Farm, BancoDipolog Incorporated, BPI-Globe Banko, Livelihood Skills Development and Enhancement Center (LSDEC), CLUB 100, Philippine Red Cross, International Care Ministry (ICM), ABCDE Foundation, ZN Federation of Parents Association, Dipolog’s Trusted Employment Agency (DTEA), and JOPAH Hairvent Corporation who offered potential employment schemes, Capability Building, Capital Resources Provision, Credit and Savings, Insurance, and Market Linkages to the 4P’s beneficiaries of Region IX.

Also present were DSWD Assistant Secretary – Mr. TeoduloRomo, Assistant Regional Director for Operation – Ms. Consejo Usman, Regional Project Coordinator – Ms. Elizabeth Saavedra, SLP Cluster Coordinators, Project Development Officer III for Partnership – Mr. Rex Francis Coz, the SLP RPMO Team, PantawidPamilya IPDO’s, and Dipolog SWADT PDO’s headed by their SWADT Leader – Mr. Alex Sabal. The event was organized by the External Relations Officer – Mr. Shamir Climaco and Facilitated by the Regional Training Officer – Mr. Jerrick Gerard Go. (by SRC)

Field-testing of biometric system for Sabah Displaced Persons (DPs) under the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer Program (MCCT) of DSWD.

In an effort to assist the displaced persons and families from Sabah regain normalcy in their lives and help them reintegrate into their communities , the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) developed a program that will help alleviate their poor conditions.

The Modified Conditional Cash Transfer Program (MCCT) which is a basically a prototype of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, aims to cater to families with children 0-14 years old.

DSWD 9 Regional Director Zenaida Arevalo revealed that for Region 9, they have identified 137 displaced persons who returned to the Philippines due to the conflict in Sabah. Similar to the identification of Pantawid beneficiaries, the 137 names were subjected to the Proxy Means test and accordingly, 102 came out eligible for the program.

To ensure accurate data and to avoid duplication of beneficiaries, Mr. Leonardo U. Lindo, a Project Development Officer from DSWD Central Office, said that enrolment will be through the Biometric Identification system. So far, field testing of the biometric system customized for the program was already conducted last week and participated by prospective beneficiaries of the program.

Aside from Region 9, DSWD will also identify prospective beneficiaries from Region XII and ARMM.

An orientation workshop set for June 12-14 is being arranged. Said workshop will prepare Local government units for the implementation of the MCCT program as well as the processing and implementation of the Biometric enrolment. ###(NZB061112)

Ruben Gamalando, Most Outstanding Trainee for 2013 with DSWD Assec. Camilo Gudmalin and ARD Consejo Usman

Fifty one persons with disability (PWDs) received their diplomas after successfully completing their respective courses along vocational skills at the Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center III.

Ruben Gamalando, who was awarded as Most Outstanding Trainee this year, during his testimony shared some of his life’s challenges. Orthopedically handicapped, due to a tragic incident at a construction site where he worked, he refused to let the incident be a hindrance to his thirst for education. “Di ko man naabot pa ang aking pangarap na makatapos ng kolehiyo, ito ay isa na sa mga daan na magdadala sa akin sa aking pangarap.”

Ruben, along with the others, undergone trainings on various skills at the Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center, which is facility managed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Said facility was established to cater to PWDs in capacitating them to become productive individuals, capable of taking care of themselves through the skills that they have acquired.

Graduates of this year availed courses along Agriculture, Basic Computer Operations, Commercial Arts, Cosmetology, Graphic Arts, Garments Technology, Industrial Arts and Scientific Massage. Mrs. Fatima Caminan, AVRC Superintendent revealed that majority of the center’s graduates are hired by recognized Spas within the region and its neighboring cities like Cagayan de Oro.

Guests during the activity were DSWD Assec. Camilo Gudmalin and Ms. Aida Magracia, who was the former Division Chief of Operations Division of DSWD 9.