Around 23 volunteers are currently being trained by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on the conduct of Family Development Sessions (FDS) for the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in Trece Martires City in Cavite Province.

The said volunteers are from partner civil society organizations (CSOs) namely CBAP-Cavite Ministries, Inc. and Family Independent Baptist Church.

The FDS is a component of the Pantawid Pamilya program that teaches parent-grantees on various family enrichment topics including responsible parenthood, children’s rights and budget management among others. Attendance to these sessions is a co-responsibility of program beneficiaries along their children’s 85 percent monthly school attendance and monthly preventive health checkups.

Prior to deploying the volunteers to the field, the DSWD provides capacity building to ensure effective delivery of the sessions’ objectives to the beneficiaries.

Artlie Ayapana, one of the CSO volunteer FDS facilitators being trained, shared why he is inspired to devote his time for the conduct of these sessions.

“Bago man ito sa aking pandinig, pero sa training na ito ay naunawaan ko na napakaganda ng programang ito. Sa tulong ng FDS at sa tulong ko, maraming mga tao ang mamumulat sa tunay na buhay may pamilya,” Ayapana said.

John Eric Flores, another volunteer, shared that being a volunteer facilitator will not only help him improve as a person.

“Hindi man ako bayaran dito ng materyal na bagay katulad ng pera, masusuklian naman ako dahil maganda ang programa at makakatulong ako sa mga tao,” Flores added.

After the training, the said volunteers will be deployed in Trece Martires City and conduct monthly FDS to more than 2,400 family-beneficiaries of the program in the said city.

The DSWD continuously strengthens partnerships with CSOs not only in the conduct of FDS but as well as other opportunities such as skills training and livelihood and scholarship programs to help improve the living condition of beneficiaries.# with reports from JARGomez and MADiaz