APPRECIATING THE PARTNERSHIP. DSWD IV-A Regional Director Leticia T. Diokno thanks members of the civil society organizations (CSOs) for their commitment to help the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program after the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between DSWD and three other CSOs last June 7, 2013 in San Pablo City, Laguna.***

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office IV-A recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with three faith-based organizations to formalize the partnership for the conduct of family development sessions (FDS) in selected Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program covered areas in the CALABARZON Region. The MOA Signing was conducted during a simple ceremony last June 7, 2013 in San Pablo City, Laguna Province.

The faith-based organizations who agreed to provide support in the conduct of FDS are United Pastors Council, South-Central Luzon Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist Church and San Pablo Philippines Stake of the Church of Latter-Day Saints.

The FDS is a Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program component that provides education to parent-beneficiaries on family-related concerns that includes husband-and-wife relationships, financial management and child-rearing. Because of the big volume of program beneficiaries that need to be served, the DSWD continuously tap civil society organizations (CSOs) such as the three to help in the conduct of these sessions particularly on the topics that are within their respective fields of expertise.

“This partnership establishes the fact that today, the DSWD is not alone in ensuring social development among our beneficiaries. The knowledge you will be imparting the beneficiaries will be a big help for them, more than the financial assistance that the program is providing them,” DSWD IV-A Director Leticia T. Diokno said in her message to the CSOs.

Dir Diokno also reminded the CSOs that the program must not be used to convert beneficiaries to their respective religions.

“Our involvement in the Pantawid Program is based on our goals of helping the poor regardless of their religion. We are very thankful to DSWD for the trust given to us in serving people,” said Pastor Celerino Umali, public affairs director of the Church of Latter-Day Saints.

Aside from the conduct of FDS, other engagements of the said groups include livelihood programs for beneficiaries, free medical and dental services, character-building programs and relief efforts during calamities.

Since January 2013, the DSWD has already engaged five CSOs in the conduct of FDS for Pantawid beneficiaries.#