Digital transformation is the approach newly adopted by the DSWD-IX to address issues and grievances filed under its flagship program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Last November 12, the Department launched its newest grievance mechanism that utilizes the technology and the internet to capture reports and complaints and act on such.

The 4Ps TRACKS was launched as an additional mechanism to the already existing Grievance Redress System (GRS) of the 4Ps program. Tanong (questions), Reklamo (complaints), Aksyon (act), Comments, Kasagutan (answers), Sumbong (reports) or simply TRACKS is an acronym that encapsulates the core mandate of the GRS: to provide responses, to validate and act on reports of violation and misbehavior that involves the 4Ps program, its beneficiaries, and its employees.

It aims to elicit participation from the public in ensuring good governance in 4Ps implementation by documenting reports of misdemeanour of 4Ps beneficiaries and staff; and to provide a safer reporting system to the public on grievances pertaining to 4Ps.

DSWD-IX Regional Director, Atty. Sittie Raifah M. Pamaloy-Hassan, during her speech in the launching of 4Ps TRACKS, emphasized the need to gather full information on reports of grievances. This will allow the Department to conduct validation and verify the veracity of the report and provide appropriate actions following the rules and regulations set in the RA 11310 or 4Ps Act.

“Layunin ng 4Ps TRACKS na kunin ang detalye ng inyong mga reklamo, katanungan, o sumbong upang magawan ng imbestigasyon. Gamitin natin ang online grievance mechanism na ito at sabay-sabay nating pangalagaan ang kredibilidad ng 4Ps. (4Ps TRACKS aims to get the full details of your grievance reports and act on it. We encourage for people to utilize this tool and let us protect the credibility of the program),” Atty. Hassan said.

Anyone can submit reports such as misbehavior of program beneficiaries to include gambling, misuse of grants, vices, disqualification, among others. DSWD employees and 4Ps implementers can also be reported for abuse of power, extortion, and other issues. The public is also encouraged to report should there be issues against DSWD partner-implementers such as the Department of Education and the Department of Health.

This online mechanism is accessible through the internet by filling out a simplified form as can be seen at bitly.com/4Ps_TRACKS. The submitted form will directly be sent to the databank of DSWD-IX 4Ps for action. ###

Convergence, in this context, is when two or more organizations unite in addressing specific social welfare concerns of a family/ies. It is often said that no man is an island. The same is true with social services delivery especially if the target is poverty alleviation. Not one agency will be able to do the job alone. Success is only achieved by a family when the family is provided with a holistic intervention.

In Barangay San Roque in the Municipality of Gutalac, Province of Zamboanga del Norte, one family is a testament to the impact of a holistic approach in social services. Through convergence, the family was able to move forward from survival level of well-being to self- sufficiency.

Demagnaong family has not always been successful. Like many of us, they, too experienced hardships, failures, and downfalls. But with through their availment of various social services, they were able to stand, and stand tall amidst vicissitudes in life. Richard, the household head, was a carpenter. As one, his income is not regular. He only gets income whenever there is a project to work on. And it does not even pay that much. Whenever he is not doing carpentry, one will find him plowing a portion of the land owned by his parents. He plants coconut trees, fruit trees, and root crops which helps then earn extra. But with a family of seven, these efforts will surely fall short.

In 2008, the family was enlisted to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, human capital investment that invests on the health, nutrition, and education of poor households for an improved well-being. As an active member, Mrs. Demagnaong was elected as Parent Leader since 2008 until the present. In many instances, she shares knowledge on relevant topics discussed during their Family Development Sessions (FDS).

The program opened doors of opportunities for the Demagnaong family. They were able to avail assistance from the Sustainable Livelihood Program and gained knowledge and skills in livelihood.

Other than her involvement in the Pantawid Pamilya, she is also a member of the KALIPI women’s association, chairperson of the San Roque cooperative, a member of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and an active catechist. They were also able to avail the cacao plantation from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

All of these involvements have contributed to the success that they are reaping today.

The eldest son, Mark Ceasar, is already married and lives separately with own family. Catherine, is a graduate of Bachelor in Science in Elementary Education and is now working as a Police Officer assigned in Ipil Police Station; Flordeliza who is also a graduate of Education works as a Non-Uniform Personnel under the Philippine National Police; John Ivan, a graduate of Criminology, is now undergoing a 60-day training course mandatory for policemen, BISOC; while youngest daughter, Christine Shen, is attending school at Gutalac National High School as a Grade-10 student.

The house structure of Demagnaong Family

The Demagnaong Children

Zamboanga City – A total of 80 enumerators will undergo a three-day orientation and training in the Province of Sulu on November 18-20 in preparation for the assessment and reassessment of households as part of the Listahanan 3 Validation and Finalization Phase.

In addition, 60 enumerators will also be trained for the Province of Tawi-Tawi next week.

Together with their Area Supervisors, these field personnel will be assigned to conduct assessment and reassessment of households that appealed to be re-interviewed after finding out that they were not included in the initial list of poor during the receiving of grievances via community desks and online filing. 

The three-day activity will orient and capacitate the participants regarding the Listahanan 3 project, their roles and responsibilities (such as data-gathering through household interviews), while a mock assessment, among others will also form part of the training to prepare them in their actual deployment to their respective areas of assignment.     

All in all, 140 enumerators will be trained to assess and reassess 19,000 households in Sulu and roughly 13,500 in Tawi-Tawi for 15 days.

Listahanan, also known as the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (nhts-pr), is an information management system that identifies who and where the poor are nationwide. Under the Executive Order No. 867 series of 2010, the assessment is conducted every four years to obtain the latest data on the demographic, socio-economic, and sectoral characteristics of poor households nationwide. The Listahanan database seeks to reduce the problems of leakage or inclusion of non-poor and at the same time, lessen exclusion or under-coverage of the poor in social protection programs. ###

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) headed by Director Andrew J. Ambubuyog of the National Household Targeting Office (NHTO) together with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) led by Atty. Anjanette Saguisag conducted a mission visit to the Province of Basilan on November 8-12 to observe and monitor the ongoing household assessment and reassessment as part of the Listahanan 3 Validation and Finalization Phase.

The monitoring activities were conducted in the City of Lamitan (Brgy. Bato) and in the Municipalities of Lantawan (Brgy. Matarling) and Maluso (Brgy. Lower Portholland).

In an effort to augment the financial needs to continue the operations of Listahanan 3, the NHTO was able to negotiate for funding support with the UNICEF for the Provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi and in line with the partnership agreement between these offices, the visit was primarily conducted to observe the processes involved in the Listahanan 3 such as its encoding activity, and the reassessment and assessment of households at the identified communities as a result of the previously conducted receiving of grievances.

This is to ensure that all households under the poverty threshold will be included in the government’s official database of the poor.

The Listahanan aims to be a reliable reference for social protection stakeholders to utilize in the formulation, planning, and implementation of their social protection programs and services, among others. ###

The world defines success in many forms. Others view it as acquiring wealth, fame, and power. But for some individuals who had to strive every single day to provide food on their table, success is also determined on how they rise up from the ashes of their past and move forward to improving their well-being as a family.

The scenario is still very vivid in Mary Ann Mocot’s mind. In a quiet barrio in Polanco, Zamboanga Del Norte, a rumor about her started to spread like wildfire; it burns her and tears her up into ashes of shame. She was trembling, she was scared. Her hands were shaking as she bites her nails out of anxiety. She did not know what to do.

What if the rumor reaches her mother first? What if something happens to her mother once she knows about it? What if she will be kicked out of their house for disappointing her? Where would she go? These questions bugged her mind so much that she stayed quiet for a long time. She kept her secret hidden from her mother, Mila.

Mary Ann was a diligent student. She does good in class and presents a good standing in her school performance. As a person, she is sweet, friendly, and thoughtful. Her morena skin perfectly fits her Filipina attributes. No wonder she wins the heart of many in school, including Webster Mayormita, a former classmate who had his eyes on her since day one.

The two got close to each other and soon became an item. Their relationship grew and she became fascinated by the affection that they shared. And the rest was history.

THE CONFESSION

She was sitting on a wooden chair with her boyfriend, Webster. Both looked as pale as a dove, their heads were bowed down, eyes were wet from tears that rolled down their cheeks.

“There is no turning back,” she thought. She can no longer keep the secret hidden. Her stomach already starts to show a bump as the life inside starts to grow. Still, her hands were shaking and she could not find the words to say nor she knows where to start. This was her sixth month as a pregnant, young woman.

Her mother was devastated upon hearing what was already obvious at that time. Mary Ann received a handful of reprimands, and so did her partner. Disappointment, anger, sadness, and worry were mixed up in her mother’s eyes. As a solo parent, Mila, her mother, questioned what she missed, where she lacked, and how she was as a mother.

She knew perfectly that she did not miss to remind Mary Ann to focus on her studies and make her understand the value of education, a right that they never enjoyed in their childhood.

As a consequence of her action, she needed to stop from attending school.

Grade 9 –such an immature time to stop. She could have done more; she could have achieved a lot more accomplishments in life. But given her situation, she needed to take care of her baby as well. One would think that it is easy. Take a time off, give birth, then get back to business. Unfortunately, reality is not as easy as that. The responsibilities will hold them back from doing more than they could have done. They will need to devote time as the baby grows into a kid –time that they will never get back once it was already spent. They will need to provide for the needs of the child: milk, diapers, vitamins, regular check-ups. How could they when they are both still students?

The anxiety started to kick in.

THE ACCEPTANCE

The fact of the matter is that it is their reality. There is no point for finger-pointing nor uttering more hurtful words. It is a reality that they needed to face and anticipate and plan. Mary Ann admitted that she is still in need of guidance for her baby and herself. Although still confused and quite lost, Mila and Mary Ann sought guidance from their Social Worker.

They were visited by the Municipal Link, Joe Anne Suizo, who conducted counselling and debriefing both for Mila and the young couple. They were asked what their priorities are. For Mila, she wants Mary Ann to finish her studies despite being a teenage mom. The Municipal Link checks on them from time to time to provide interventions whenever necessary.

Months have passed and the baby was born, thankfully, healthy. They knew that this is just the beginning of another chapter. Through the assistance of the Municipal Link, Mary Ann was slowly able to come back on track. They had completed a year in the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and still waiting for the examination schedule. Mila recalls that one of her class teachers told her that Mary Ann did well in class.

Recently, Mary Ann was one of the completers among Grade 10 students and she is pursuing her 11^th Grade at Polanco National High School. She plans to enroll in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand.

Mila, Mary Ann and Webster are now doing well as a family. She might have had it at the wrong timeline, Mary Ann said that it will not discourage her to pursue and finish school. With this experience, Mary Ann compares herself to a phoenix, one that obtains new life by arising from the ashes. She may have beaten by her past, but she will rise up again like a phoenix.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development appeals to social media influencers and content creators to be factual and cautious in their posts regarding the Department and its programs and services. This is after several social media contents were observed to contain erroneous information and misconceptions about DSWD programs.

It has been observed that a number of social media personalities use DSWD’s programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps in their contents showing or portraying a supposed beneficiary while acting out scenarios of unvalidated reports of grievances.

Furthermore, the Department also has received several reports of fake news and deception from unofficial Facebook pages that post and circulate misinformation and unvalidated contents.

DSWD has already posted an official statement regarding this fake news on its social media account and official Facebook Page (DSWD Region IX). The national office has also released an article pertaining to the same subject to encourage social media personalities to be more responsible in using their platform.

While talking about social services in an online platform is appreciated, the Department encourages the public particularly the netizens to conduct fact-checks especially on information that may cause confusion. Should there be instances of malpractice, misbehavior, and/or misdemeanor among program beneficiaries and DSWD employees, the public may file an official report through the various grievance mechanisms that the Department has installed. These mechanisms are in place to conduct validation, provide action, and/or enforce necessary and appropriate sanction/s.

Sooner this year, 4Ps will launch a mechanism where grievances will be collected via online platform for reports that float on the internet. ###

Pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 60 declaring the last week of September as the National Family Week, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the lead agency in ensuring the welfare of the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized families, will be holding a FAMILY DAY Celebration activity on September 28, 2021 anchored on the theme “Pamilya at Teknolohiya: Magkabalikat Mapagtagumpayan ang Hamon ng Pandemya.”

The objective of the annual celebration is to highlight the resiliency and camaraderie of Filipino families that amidst trials brought about by poverty and the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, we still stand strong and together.

Several activities were prepared by the national and regional office of the DSWD in line with the Family Week Celebration. However, due to restrictions caused by the pandemic, this year’s celebration will be held virtually.

To begin, the DSWD launched a fun and family-oriented competition dubbed as #HappyFaMEALy Photo Contest where family-participants are enjoined to take a photo while enjoying a meal. Uploading of entries on social media platforms is open from September 27 until September 28, 2021 at 8 AM.

Six (6) winners will be chosen among all entries posted on Facebook. Winners will be receiving Php 3,000 worth of grocery items.

The photo contest is in line with the Kainang Pamilya Mahalaga Day, an advocacy that promotes togetherness and giving value for family time.  

“For most of us, our families are our inspiration. They are our reasons why we work hard, why we strive to become better individuals. We, in the DSWD, want to nurture this core value of being family-oriented and we hope that this will inspire our beneficiaries in their day-to-day activities,” DSWD-9 Regional Director Atty. Sittie Raifah M. Pamaloy-Hassan said.

Furthermore, on September 28, 2021, the Department will hold a virtual celebration and seminar with family-participants across the region.

Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur – The DSWD Field Office 9 participated during the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) Mini Caravan held on September 20 at the Municipal Gym of Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur.

Around 300 residents of the municipality’s IP-dominated Brgy. Baking were chosen as beneficiaries of the said activity.

The caravan aimed to bring government services to the selected community with a convergence of various government agencies and partners in social development.

Aside from DSWD, other national government agencies (NGAs) such as the Technical Education  and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agriculture (DA), and the security sector, among others, were also present to provide services to the identified constituents of the barangay.

The Field Office 9 was assigned to a booth or an information desk where questions related to the different programs and services of the agency (whether protective, promotive, or preventive) could be asked by clients.    

Majority of the queries received were related to membership in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). IP clients were able to inquire as to how could they apply in the government’s conditional cash transfer program and its qualifications. 

Meanwhile, considering that the Listahanan 3 validation was put on hold since April of this year, a number of clients queried with regards to the schedule of the validation activity’s resumption. For some, they appealed to be interviewed since they were not accordingly assessed during the household enumeration in 2019.

Aside from these, others likewise inquired on how to avail financial and educational assistance (other than 4Ps), Social Pension Program, livelihood projects, and adoption, among others. 

Information, education, and communication (IEC) collaterals were also distributed to the clients as part of the social marketing activities of the DSWD to further promote and advocate its programs and services especially to those living in underprivileged communities.

The PCUP Caravan is said to be one of the priority programs of the PCUP which serves as a one-stop shop of services for the urban poor sector, to avail different government and non-government services. The mini caravan officially began at 9 am and ended at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. ###