DSWD Field Office IV-A Regional Director Leticia Diokno (right) and Ms. Dee Anne Hora Zobel (center), chairperson of the board of E. Zobel Foundation, Inc., with Board Trustee Victoria Wienekee (left) sign a Memorandum of Agreement for the provision of livelihood trainings and opportunities for beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in Calatagan, Batangas.

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The Department of Social Welfare and Development and the E. Zobel Foundation, Inc. recently formalized its partnership through signing of memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the implementation of livelihood training for the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in Calatagan.

The signing of the MOA, which was signed by Dir Leticia T. Diokno of DSWD Field Office IV-A and Ms. Dee Anne Hora Zobel, chairperson of E. Zobel Foundation board of trustees, will be followed by preparation of a work plan by both institutions.  The E. Zobel Foundation, even prior to the signing of the MOA, has been serving Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in the said municipality through its livelihood trainings.

To date, they have trained a total of 14 Pantawid mother-grantees on basic cosmetology and 11 are engaged in the Nutrimix Livelihood Project, which involves making of food supplements and crunchies, a mongo-based snack that they market to public schools in the municipality.

“The Department acknowledges E. Zobel for entering into a partnership with us. Most of the services we offer complement each other, and we hope that this partnership will be a start of the collaboration of our services to ensure that every poor household is served [even those not covered by Pantawid Pamilya],” Dir. Diokno shared during the simple MOA signing ceremony.

Besides the provision of livelihood training and opportunities for Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries, the E. Zobel Foundation, Inc. will also help in ensuring the availability of supply side requirements in health and education, e.g. provision of chairs to public schools.

“We are pleased that we are finally formalizing the partnership with the DSWD. Our goals are so much in line with each other and we believe that we can help each other in bringing the best results for our target beneficiaries,” said Ms. Dee Anne Hora Zobel, chairperson of the board of E. Zobel Foundation.

The E. Zobel Foundation, Inc. is a community based development organization that is committed to contribute in the transformation process of the Filipino poor and disadvantaged sectors of the society.  It offers various programs aiming to improve the quality of education particularly in Calatagan.  It also provides public school infrastructure development, learning support, teacher training and school health and nutrition program and engages in special programs such as livelihood, medical allowance, social pension and scholarship for selected beneficiaries in the municipality.***