Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) under the Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay (KKB) commenced the construction of Building for Women and Children in barangay Taluksangay, Zamboanga City following the groundbreaking ceremony held earlier today.

The construction of the identified sub-project is expected to be completed within 57 working days with a total cost of Php4,000,000.00 which includes training and comfort rooms, activity area  and other basic amenities.

The completion of the facility will serve as venue for gender-based violence and child abuse cases, augmentation to the local health center to accommodate more birth deliveries. It will also serve as a venue for all programs and projects of the Women and Children of this barangay as they look forward to it becoming a center for women and children’s affairs.

Present during the ceremony to represent the LGU was Vice Mayor Rommel Agan, barangay officials led by Hannah M. Nuño and Lilia M. Nuño, BSPMC Chairperson Mohammad Zen N. Johan, community members and Kalahi-CIDSS Regional Program Coordinator Narrabelle Z. Bue.

The Regional Program Management Office through RPC Bue commits to extend full support on the implementation as well as in the monitoring of the sub-project.

The LGU also expressed their wholehearted support and commitment to the construction of building for Women and Children and thank the department for the assistance provided. Likewise, congratulates the barangay for being the first recipient of Kalahi-CIDSS sub-project in Zamboanga City.

The community members through BSPMC Chair Johan acknowledged his fellow volunteers and other stakeholders like the teachers and the barangay administrative staff who worked hard for the completion of the requirements, commits to ensure the completion of the sub-project and be there to monitor and assist in the future programs and projects under the facility.

Regarded as the first Kalahi-CIDSS project in the city, they are very grateful to Senator Juan Edgardo Angara for the funding. The community is hopeful that this would not be the only project to be funded by the agency. Hence they would want this to be a model for Zamboanga City especially this is for the Women and Children project.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) turned-over a newly completed sub-project under the Disaster Response Operations Procedure (DROP) which is the Renovation of Old Multi-Purpose Building for Isolation Facility in Barangay Azusano, Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay last week.

The renovation of the four-room isolation facility started last September 18, 2020 and has been completed by October 31, 2020 with a total cost of Php370,905.00 with amenities such as beds, bedsheets and pillow cases, lavatory, water dispenser, tables and chairs, and complete set of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) like face mask, face shield, medical gloves, thermal scanner, alcohol, soap, bleach solution and hazmat protective suit.

The community was grateful to spearhead and become a recipient of the said sub-project in response to COVID-19 in their barangay. The Operation and Maintenance chairperson Generose F. Velez committed during the turn-over that they are willing to render voluntary services for the operation of the isolation facility with the supervision of the BLGU through the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) and the MLGU under the Municipal Health Office (MHO).

“Kasi buhay talaga ng mga residente ang maililigtas nito dahil ito ay para masugpo ang panganib ng pandemya at buhay rin ang mawawala kapag nagka-virus ang isang tao”. (Because it will really save lives of the people because this is intended to eliminate the danger of the pandemic at the same time life is also at risk when a person is contracted by the virus), said Velez.

The LGU through the Municipal Mayor Leonardo B. Talania expressed their gratitude to the success of DROP implementation especially the construction of isolation facility. He commended the community members for being so supportive to the program and urged them to cooperate with the government in the fight against COVID-19 by coordinating with the MHO whenever there is a need for any LSI to go through isolation or even quarantine.

The renovation of multi-purpose building for isolation facility is the first among the 20 sub-projects to be completed and turned-over to the Municipality of Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay under Kalahi-CIDSS Disaster Response Operating Procedure (DROP).

DROP ensures augmentation of resources to local government unit in response to COVID-19 through a Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach.

Following the shift to Disaster Response Operations Procedure (DROP) from its regular implementation due to pandemic, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) will fund a total of 246 sub-projects in Region IX this year.

The activation of DROP ensures augmentation of resources to local government unit in response to COVID-19 through a Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach.

A total of Php187,217,698.24 will be allocated to CDD COVID19 disaster response in the region. Sub-projects to be identified under this procedure will focus more on the intervention to COVID-19 and on mitigating the effect of crisis to the communities.

Kalahi-CIDSS in Region IX is looking forward to construct community sub-projects as proposed and among these  include retrofitting and improvement of existing building for isolation facility, construction of isolation facility, purchase of medicines, purchase of personal protective equipment (PPEs), emergency supplies, water storage and amenities and cash-for-work scheme.

Despite a shorten approach in implementation this year, the program will see to it that the process will not be compromised, to be guided with CDD principles of transparency, accountability, inclusivity and participatory.

The program through the Disaster Response Operations Procedure (DROP) is implemented in 25 areas in Zamboanga Peninsula.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has announced recently that vaccine for the Novel Corona Virus 2019 will soon be available for Filipinos and the first to receive it are those who belong to the poorest sector particularly the members of DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

During his public address, President Duterte reiterated that his administration will ensure that the poorest of the poor will be prioritized along with the security forces once the vaccine arrives, the earliest on April 2021.

“Ang mauna sa bakuna..ay yung mga taong nasa listahan ng gobyerno na tumatanggap ng Pantawid. Ito yung mga mahirap.. (The first to receive the vaccine are those who are in the government’s 4Ps list.. They are the poor ones),” says Pres. Duterte.

The Chief Executive added that the vaccine will be free for poor Filipinos.

However, as much as the government wants all Filipinos to get the vaccine for free, due to limited resources, there will be prioritization in its distribution. And some may have to pay for the vaccine, especially those who can afford to pay for it.

Danny, a 4Ps beneficiary from Zamboanga City who recovered from Covid-19, expressed elation towards this good news.

“Wala may kinsa gusto maka-covid pero kung matakdan ta mga pobre, at least matabangan ta sa gobyerno kung naa nay vaccine (Nobody wants to acquire the virus but in case we get infected, at least the government will be able to help us once the vaccine is in),” Danny said.

The DSWD is yet to receive the policy governing this. The Department will be making the necessary preparations as soon as the guidelines are in place and the vaccine has been cleared for public use by the authorized agencies. 

Meanwhile, DSWD calls on 4Ps beneficiaries to wait for further announcement through its official social media platforms.

4Ps is the national poverty reduction strategy of the national government with DSWD as the lead agency. It invests in the health, nutrition, and education of poor households for an improved well-being.  It is implemented nationwide with more than 4 million household beneficiaries. ###

For over 15 years of implementation of Kalahi-CIDSS program across Zamboanga Peninsula, it has Completed a total of 4333 community sub-projects in Region IX from 2003-2019.

Through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) is one of the poverty alleviation program that aims to empower communities to have access to services and to participate in a more inclusive local planning, budgeting and project implementation through Community-Driven Development (CDD) strategy.

The program covered multiple modalities using the said strategy that helped barangays in poor municipalities identified projects that fits their needs based on the decisions made by the communities themselves.

Following the Community Empowerment Activity Cycle (CEAC), the program banked on the participation of the Community Volunteers which formed part of the Barangay Sub-Project Management Committee (BSPMC) that oversees the sub-project implementation.

They had undergone several capability-building activities from project preparation workshop, procurement, finance and in community-based implementation that trained them to become competent in their respective roles and tasks which became vital in the completion of the sub-projects.

Through the Participatory Situation Analysis (PSA), barangay through the representation of their community volunteers each had presented their proposed sub-project as perceived intervention to the identified problem from which prioritization of what sub-projects must be funded derived.

Among the top sub-projects prioritized and constructed by the communities are school buildings, day care centers, health station, roads and pre and post-harvest facilities like corn mill, rice mill and solar dryer and has benefited a total of 656,375 households region wide.

The completion of these sub-projects answered the cry of the communities, who pushed for the additional school buildings and replacement of makeshift classrooms, access to health services for pregnant women and children alike, access to social services as well and support to livelihood for the locals.            

These sub-projects are the result of the participation of the communities in an effort to bring about development in their localities in coordination with their Barangay and Municipal Local Government Officials. They were fully turned-over to the communities under their respective OandM group which ensures the maintenance and functionality of the sub-projects. ###

The Home for the Elderly is set to begin its construction and upgrade of facilities beginning September 23.

The said upgrades under the CRCF 2020 funded projects aim to improve the center and the existing structures of the residential facilities and to provide high quality standard programs and services to its elder clients.

The Home for the Elderly is a residential facility in the region that provides temporary shelter and care to dependent, needy and abandoned Filipino Senior Citizens. Eligible for admission in the center are senior citizens 60 years and above who are abandoned, neglected, homeless and unattached and with no contagious disease.

The 9.3 Million worth of upgrading projects includes the following: Upgrading of Administrative Building (Php 4,441,004.24); Upgrading of Resident Quarter Phase II (Php 2,600,518.71); Upgrading of Electrical System (Php 1,781,498.35) and Upgrading of Water System (Php 576,565.92).  

Earlier last year, the said center also underwent some major rehabilitation through upgrading of the different residential quarters, Mess hall, Construction of Multi-Purpose Hall and Aqua Therapy Pool.

These improvements have significantly provided relief, ease and comfort for all the clients they serve which contributed to its eventual recovery and rehabilitation while inside the center.

The DSWD Field IX is operating seven (7) centers and residential care facilities in the region. 5 of which are located in Zamboanga City while the 2 others are located in Zamboanga Del Norte, respectively.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been providing residential care services to disadvantaged and vulnerable sectors and training and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities through the establishment of its centers and residential care facilities since the early 1950s.

DSWD remains committed to protect the welfare and best interest of these clients amidst the threat and impact brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

True to its mandate to uphold the value of health, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) under the implementation of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) resumes monitoring of compliance to program conditionalities particularly on health component starting this current period (August-September 2020).

With this resumption, the Department urges program beneficiaries to visit health center facilities and coordinate with their barangay health workers.

This is to further ensure that the 4Ps family beneficiaries remain healthy and in good condition amid threats of the Corona-Virus disease and other health threats that may arise such as malnutrition, vaccine-preventable diseases, among others.

Furthermore, DSWD advises beneficiaries to know the details on how to avail health services such as health center visit, home visit, and other health-related activities while following the guidelines set by their city/municipal health office and/or the Department of Health.

It can be recalled that the Department has waived compliance of beneficiaries to the conditionalities of the 4Ps program since the uproar brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This was possible through the signing of a resolution on Force Majeure effective last February.

Under Rule No. VIII Section 15 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the RA 11310 or the 4Ps Act, the Department Secretary may suspend monitoring of compliance of beneficiaries under a ‘force majeure’ circumstance.

Because of this, the beneficiaries became entitled to cash grants even without compliance to program conditionalities such as sending their children to school, pre/post natal check-ups, regular and preventive check-up for children 5 years old and below, de-worming for children aged 14 and below, and attendance to Family Development Sessions (FDS).

The resumption of health compliance monitoring consequently means that the grants intended for health will only be granted to beneficiaries once they comply with health conditionality.

However, monitoring of education compliance and attendance to FDS still remain suspended until further advisory.

Meanwhile, DSWD studies the possibility of utilizing technological advancements as we transition to the new normal without the need for mass-gathering such as the newly-introduced e-FDS.

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office IX thru their Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD) has extended relief assistance to the affected families due to armed conflict that transpired at RT Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay Province last September 9.

As per report from MSWDO of RT Lim, there were 329 families or 1, 560 individuals affected by the said conflict. The families were comprised of residents from barangays: Ali-Alsree, Pres. Roxas, and Caluba of RT Lim, respectively. As of September 12, 2020, the DSWD FO IX has distributed 340 hygiene kits and 340 mosquito nets. An additional 200 plastic mats were also provided as augmentation while they are staying inside the evacuation centers.

The Quick Response Team (QRT) through the Social Welfare and Development Team (SWADT) in Zamboanga Sibugay was immediately activated. They proceeded to the evacuation center to assess the situation of the evacuees and to provide psychosocial intervention to the minor victims of the armed conflict. Food assistance were also provided by the LGU to the displaced families.

The DSWD FO IX will continue to extend relief assistance to disaster incidents amid the COVID-19 pandemic within region.