ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 9 through the National Household Targeting Section (NHTS) has officially started the receiving and processing of appeals and grievances pertaining to the initial list of poor households generated from the Listahanan 3 assessment in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi since Monday, August 23.

The agency urges the public to review the accuracy of the initial list of poor by filing grievances if applicable prior to the finalization of the information management system to ensure that the Listahanan 3 database will serve as a reliable reference for social protection stakeholders to employ in the formulation and implementation of their respective programs and services, among others.

Those who were not interviewed during the data-collection phase may appeal to be assessed. Complaints or inquiries on household information and classification (whether poor or non-poor) will be received and evaluated through formal channels beginning with the Area Supervisor (AS), followed by the Barangay Verification Team (BVT), and the Local Verification Committee (LVC).

The AS assigned in the barangay will receive and process all grievances using the Validation Search Application (VSA). Only those grievances from households residing in the barangay (where the actual validation is conducted) shall be accommodated by the assigned field personnel.

The BVT will be composed of the Barangay Chairperson, First Kagawad, Kagawad in charge of social services, one representative of a Civil Society Organization (CSO), and Sub-Project Management Committee Chairperson for Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) areas. The team will evaluate the grievances received from the community in coordination with the Listahanan field personnel.

Moreover, the LVC will have the Local Chief Executive (LCE) or his/her representative, City/Municipal Social Welfare Development Officer (C/MSWDO), City/Municipal Planning and Development Officer (C/MPDO), and one representative from two Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as its members. They will resolve all the grievances filed, and will likewise identify and certify households that have not been visited during the assessment phase. The households identified will undergo assessment and re-interview.

Aside from the Community Desk designated in the barangay, households may also opt to file grievances online through https://listahanan.dswd.gov.ph/grievance/. All those received in the Listahanan 3 Validation website shall be synchronized with the VSA and the Grievance Tracking and Monitoring System (GTMS) for processing. 

In addition, for those (households) in rural barangays/puroks/sitios that were not covered during the assessment period, they will not be anymore required to file grievances as they will be automatically included in the list of households for interview.

For appeals concerning re-assessment, the AS will have to inform the complainant that: (a) the conduct of re-assessment shall be decided by the BVT and LVC; (b) the re-interview shall be unannounced; and (c) there will only be one attempt to secure the interview.

Based on the initial list of poor households generated during the third round of the regular assessment (for BST), out of the 77,597 households assessed in Basilan, 56,925 were identified as poor. In Sulu, 115,775 were also classified as poor from the 160,997 households assessed. For Tawi-Tawi, of the 71,006 households interviewed, only 29,558 were found to be poor.  All in all, a total of 309,300 households were covered in the three island provinces of which 202,258 were identified poor and 107,042 were non-poor. For the on-going validation, the NHTS targets to validate 35,289 grievances. ###

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Social Marketing Unit (SMU) of the Field Office 9 emerged victorious during the Malasakit Video Fest organized by DSWD Central Office winning the ‘Malasakit Storymaker of the Year’ award.

The SMU also received a technical award for Best Production and Technical Quality while its video entries were also conferred with special citations including the Best KALAHI Video, Best Disaster Response Video, Best Adoption Video, and Best CRCF Video. The virtual awarding was held during the National Management Development Conference last week.

The ‘Project UNMASK: Sixty Second Stories of Change’ is an original video concept by the Regional Information Officer, Ivan Eric C. Salvador which featured the following stories:

U-LIRAT

A story of a rehabilitated elderly client who is a COVID-19 survivor and once diagnosed with a mental illness. Through the constant interventions of the center, he was able to make himself useful and be one of the most active elders in the facility who contributed not only through socializing among his peers but also in maintaining a comfortable haven in their golden years.

N-IŃA

An inspiring story of a couple who found a new gem from adopting a baby girl in RSCC. After being married for 13 years and having found out how difficult and risky for the mother to bear a child, they warmly welcomed the idea of adoption. Their sweet 3-year old lives in a humble home where good parenting, values, and faith resonate. The presence of their child made them realize and decide to adopt for another baby to provide her child a sister to depend on in life when they grow old.

M-ANGHAHABI

A story of a Sama Bajau weaver who once spent their lives (family) on the streets for a living. Through the efforts of organizing these women weavers, they were able to continue their colorful art of weaving “Banig” through the Social Technology’s financial assistance under the Comprehensive Program for Sama Bajaus. Today, their livelihood has supported their families and their products are the top favorites among local and foreign tourists in the city.

A-LON

A story of a fisherman whose family was directly affected by a storm surge in a small coastal community. The houses on stilts were damaged (partially/totally) after strong winds battered their humble abode. The family benefitted from the DSWD’s provision of family food packs during the relief operations.

S-ILUNGAN

A success story of the 1st KALAHI-CIDDS sub-project in Zamboanga City that was funded under the KKB (Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay) modality. The women and children center is the result of community empowerment and Bayanihan of the local community whose dream was to have a structure that will cater to gender-based violence and child abuse cases. The community envisions this to be a center handling women and children’s affairs in general.

K-USINA

A success story of a former deportee who was hired by the DSWD as a cook of the Processing Center for Displaced Persons. His story and experiences mirror the thousands of deportees he serves through the department‘s provision of hot meals during arrival and during their temporary stay in the center. His commitment is a testament to his return service to his fellow kababayan who were deported from Malaysia due to lost, expired, and non-possession of travel documents such as a passport. 

DSWD IX Regional Director, Atty. Sittie Raifah M. Pamaloy-Hassan expressed her appreciation to SMU for producing stories of hope through 60-seconder films. She said, “This is another milestone for us in the Field Office. We commend and congratulate the SMU for coming up with ‘Project UNMASK’ which unfolds the stories of hope and inspiration among the featured clients and beneficiaries.”

“The awards will even inspire us more to give hope to the hopeless, and I wish that more and more stories of change will be told,” she added.

The Malasakit Video Fest aimed to promote the stories and testimonies of the clients and beneficiaries of DSWD, especially during this pandemic, as the department gears towards the performance of its steering functions with the devolution of some of its social welfare services.

A total of 82 video entries were submitted by participating Field Offices. The Field Offices were encouraged to submit a one-minute video for six programs or services where five of those should be in a local dialect and one in Filipino.

The entries were judged as a whole based on Creativity and Originality, Value of Information, Production and Technical Quality, Entertainment Value/Engagement, and People’s Choice. ###

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office IX in coordination with the Office of the President and Office of Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go facilitated the payout of financial assistance to 587 fishermen and 318 tricycle drivers who are residents of Brgy. Labuan, Zamboanga City, last Saturday, August 14.

Aside from the cash aid extended through DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), the field office through its Disaster Response and Management Division (DRMD) also provided the beneficiaries with Family Food Packs (FFPs) to help them somehow mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, the 136th Malasakit Center in Labuan General Hospital was unveiled on the same day. It is a one-stop shop that is designated to receive and process requests for medical and financial assistance for indigent and incapacitated patients through DSWD, Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

Forty two (42) patients and 132 rank and file employees including security guards and utility staff of the said hospital were also given financial assistance from DSWD.

Among those present during the one-stop shop launching were Sen. Bong Go, DSWD Undersecretary Atty. Aimee S. Torrefranca-Neri, DSWD Assistant Secretary Jade T. Jamolod, DSWD IX Regional Director, Atty. Sittie Raifah M. Pamaloy-Hassan, various key officials, partner agencies, and other stakeholders. ###

What once began as the Self Employment Assistance – Kaunlaran (SEA-K) back in 1993, as one of the main social programs of the government that aimed to provide enough financial assistance to help kick-start the marginalized and poor households to pursue entrepreneurial activity and savings generation. After years of successful run, it was transformed into the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) back in 2011. Program participants were given the choice to choose between the two track-program, Employment Facilitation Track and Microenterprise Development Track.

Ten years have passed, and the program has assisted over 2 million families, brought them out of poverty, allowed the possibility of financial independence, and partnered them up for national and international distribution. Acknowledging the years of success, the ups and downs of establishing one’s own livelihood, this is reflected in one of SLP’s activities dubbed as Likhang Hiraya.

Likhang Hiraya comes from the combination of two Filipino words: Likha which means to create and Hiraya which means out of dreams or vision. At DSWD Field Office 9, Likhang Hiraya was conducted to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the program last August 9-13, 2021 at SM City Mindpro. Featuring the products of one of the most successful SLP Association it has organized, the Tugbungan Ayudahan Livelihood Association (TALA).

Originally composed of 15 members in 2015, mostly of housewives in their neighborhood, much of their founding members have come and go, pursued other livelihood opportunities, hired househusbands, exhibited for national and international displays as well. Their product – hand crafted bags, pouches, and face masks made from batik cloth – has awarded them with a pool of loyal customers that commission the association during events and often buy their products as tokens and souvenirs. With the bright-colored and fascinating patterns of the batik cloth it easily catches the attention of a walking individual – begging them to buy the hanging bag or pouch.

TALA President Estrella Dinampo hopes that the Likhang HIraya Display would encourage those to join SLP and pursue a livelihood that could someday be worthy to be put up for display.

Likhang Hiraya not only aimed to showcase the abilities and skills SLP has honed but to show the faces of Sibol (Solidarity and Innovation in Building Opportunities for Livelihoods), portraying the stories behind the track they chose, their motivations to carry on and to rise after every adversary faced. It hopes to influence the public of the possibilities and opportunities with the program.

The event proved to only be the beginning of a fruitful partnership between the agency and the SM establishment that would help benefit SLP Associations in promoting and retailing their products and produce.

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the DSWD has been receiving complains of what they feel could be a scam, and those who are already victims of this modus have approached Project Development Officers (PDOs) of the program demanding to be paid the promised Php 15,000.00 Livelihood Assistance Grant.

Reports of alleged groups and individuals claiming to work with SLP and asking people to pay a processing fee assuring them that they will receive LAG. The amount asked ranges between Php 10.00 to Php 350.00 with reasons ranging from photocopying fee, processing fee, computer fee, or assurance fee. These groups carry with them a copy of the The target of these scammers are areas with little to no knowledge of the program, including some barangays in Zamboanga City such as Rio Hondo, Ayala, Recodo, Balunoh, Sinunuc, Upper Calarian, Mampang, San Roque, Sta. Barbara, Campo Islam, Sta. Catalina, Kasanyangan, Talon-Talon, Tugbungan, and Zambowood.

A meeting was conducted with the head of the alleged group wherein a list containing 1,123 individuals from the above-mentioned barangays are seeking to be given LAG last July 19, 2021. Names on the said list along with their local leaders have been given orientation on the program, the stages, its modalities, the tracks available for the, and requirements for accreditation by July 21, 2021. Currently, the names are undergoing name-matching against the Listahanan Database for eligibility to be part of the program.

SLP warns against the conduct of collecting fees from the public. While the action of referring individuals to the program is encouraged, promising them the assurance of payment should be discontinued. Public are advised to ask for identification from groups and individuals offering them financial assistance and to report to the field office on any suspicious activities.

To ensure the safety of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries against the threat brought about by the spread of the Corona virus, the DSWD, even up to this day, discourages 4Ps beneficiaries to conduct face-to-face mass gatherings as compliance to their monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS).

FDS is the monthly gathering of 4Ps beneficiaries where they discuss and learn relevant knowledge and information that could help them improve their quality of life such as financial literacy sessions, disaster-preparedness orientation, family planning seminars, parenting sessions, among others.

In lieu of the face-to-face sessions, the regional office of the DSWD introduced several modalities that enable the beneficiaries to still comply with the mandate of the program without having to leave the comfort of their homes.

The following are the 8 modalities applied by the DSWD in conducting FDS sessions: e-FDS Facebook Post, FDS on Group Chat, Printed e-FDS, Basa-Pasa or Wall-Dikit, Small Group Neighborhood Sessions (SGNS), e-FDS Text Blast, Facebook Live Streaming, and FDS On Air (Radio and/or TV).

Among these modalities, FDS On Air (Radio/TV) seems to be the most preferred or most accessible modality that the beneficiaries used in the past periods.

With this strategy, the DSWD, on average, meets around 95-96% compliance rate on attendance to FDS despite the restrictions following Covid-19 protocols.

Monitoring of attendance is done through submission of insight paper by the beneficiary on their learning from the session. Additionally, the Parent Leaders per purok or barangay also help in ensuring attendance of the beneficiaries to the FDS sessions by securing an attendance sheet.

“Grande ayuda gayot el maga Parent Leaders cay sila mismo ta man monitor tambien con el otro beneficiario si ta atende ba FDS o hinde. (Parent Leaders are a big help as they, too, monitor the attendance of other 4Ps beneficiaries to FDS),” FDS focal person, Marieced Opaon said.

4Ps will soon introduce yet another modality by August called the FDS on YouTube. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development visited the survivors of the C130 incident of Bangkal, Patikul, Sulu at Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) and Camp Navarro General Hospital at Western Mindanao Command lasy July 8, 2021.

Present were OIC – Regional Director Atty. Sittie Raifah Pamaloy-Hassan, Assistant Regional Director for Operations Fatima S. Caminan, and Crisis Intervention Unit Chief Sitti Aisa Askalani to personally assess the situation and provide assistance to the victims.

Of the 37 patients, 3 of them are civilian of which 2 are confined at (ZCMC) and the other at Ciudad Medical Zamboanga (CMZ), while 20 of the soldiers are admitted ZCMC, and 14 are admitted at Camp Navarro General Hospital with lesser injuries where one of the patients tested positive for Covid-19 and is now in isolation. Victims confined at ZCMC and CMZ are those with more severe conditions that require special medical attention.

As assistance, the DSWD Crisis Intervention Unit and the Disaster Risk and Management Division provided assistance by giving the 37 patients outright cash assistance amounting to Php 5,000.00 each, hygiene kits, family kits, and sleeping kits to help them during their stay and recovery in Zamboanga City.

One of the patients confined at Camp Navarro General Hospital recalled the last minutes before the incident. The patient explained the events that transpired, the last attempts of the co-pilot, the prayers and goodbyes yelled by his comrades, how they all accepted their fate but were surprised and grateful that some of them woke up alive.

Zamboanga City’s Malasakit Center closely monitors the needs of the patient and updates DSWD personnel on how the agency can further assist and provide the needs of the survivors. Currently, Malasakit Center has been relocated to a temporary office as the original office is currently housing Covid-19 patients.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where indigent patients and those who are financially incapacitated can avail of financial and medical assistance from the DSWD, the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

‘Di mo na marinig sigaw ng co-pilot nung di na nagising ang pilot at nahuhulog na kami, malakas yung sigaw ng mga kasama ko nagdadasal, sumisigaw ng ‘I love you ma, pa’, tanggap na naming mamatay na kami sa araw na ‘yun. Gulat nga ako nagising pa ako. Buti na lang nabiak [ang plane] dun kami tumalon.’ A quote from one of the survivors of the incident.

OIC – Regional Director Atty. Sittie Raifah M. Pamaloy-Hassan and Assistant Regional Director for Operations Fatima S. Caminan during the courtesy call with Zamboanga City Medical Center Medical (ZCMC) Center Chief Dr. Afdal Kunting discussing the possibilities of a future documented partnership between DSWD Field Office IX and ZCMC. Followed by visitation to DSWD Malasakit Center temporary office. And visitation to Camp Navarro General Hospital where DSWD personnel conversed with one of the survivors on the events that transpired.

As part of its Social Support Intervention (SSI), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) track under the country’s conditional cash transfer program popularly known as 4Ps has distributed livelihood kits to members of the Indigenous People groups in the municipality of Liloy, Zamboanga Del Norte.

Out of the 37 barangays in the said municipality, 5 barangays have become recipients of the SSI that totals to 73 family beneficiaries among the various IP associations. The barangay recipients include barangay Baybay, barangay La Libertad, barangay Comunal, barangay Mabuhay, and barangay Tapican.

DSWD-9 Regional Director, Atty. Sittie Raifah M. Pamaloy-Hassan explains that the aim of providing SSI to the IP groups is to uplift the socio-economic status of the MCCT beneficiaries through services such as Cash For Work (CFW), livelihood assistance, grassroots organizing activities, family camp, and rent subsidy for Homeless Street Families (HSF) and IP Itinerant beneficiaries.

The DSWD provides cash aid and livelihood assistance to the IPs, especially those living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) through its Modified Conditional Cash Transfer Program. As of today, MCCT covers approximately 35% or 95,653 of the total number of active 4Ps beneficiaries in the region.

Apple Sandee Samla, 29, a member of the Kalibugan tribe, expresses her gratitude for being part of the LIBBAY (La Libertad and Baybay) IPs Association and for being a recipient of such assistance from the 4Ps-MCCT.

“I am so grateful to receive the livelihood kit which will definitely help my family’s livelihood for additional income,” Samla said.

MCCT is a sub-component of the 4Ps which uses a modified approach in implementing the conditional cash transfer program for poor families, including homeless street families (HSF), IPs, and Families in Need of Special Protection.