A total of 315,367 household-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the CALABARZON Region receive their first rice subsidy this March 2017.

 

The rice subsidy is provided as cash allowance amounting to PhP600 per household per month or PhP7,200 per year. The provision of said allowance is in accordance to President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s directive in his first State of the Nation Address last July 2016 to address hunger and poverty among the poor families in the country.

 

This cash allowance is given on top of the regular cash grants on health and education of the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya who are active and compliant to the conditions of the program.

 

Similar to the regular cash grants, the provision of rice subsidy is conditional and is subject to the household’s compliance to any of the conditions of the program such as 85 percent monthly school attendance of children, monthly preventive health checkup of children and monthly attendance to Family Development Sessions of parent-grantees.

 

In the ongoing cash grant payout this month, each compliant household-beneficiary receive PhP600 on top of their regular cash grants for the month of January 2017. The beneficiaries will receive succeeding allowances for the months of February to December 2017 on scheduled payouts in May, July, September and November 2017 and January and March 2018.

 

In the CALABARZON Region, a total of PhP185.20 Million has been released to cover the rice subsidy for the month of January of the said number of household beneficiaries.

 

In line with the provision of this additional cash allowance to beneficiaries, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) calls for the proper use of this fund among our beneficiaries.

 

In a statement issued by DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo, the agency trusts that the beneficiaries will use the cash allowance to buy rice as it is the intended purpose of the subsidy. However, the public can report misuse of the subsidy to the DSWD through grievance hotlines 09189122813 or 3456.

 

To date, beneficiaries are ensured of getting the rice subsidy for the year 2017 as it is already funded under the 2017 General Appropriations Act. The rice subsidy for 2018 onwards will be subject to the availability of funds as approved by the Congress.xxx

Fifty fishermen  from  coastal  barangays  of  Sariaya  in  Quezon Province receive fiberglass boats as a starter kit upon completion of their skills training on fiberglass boat fabrication  under  the  DSWD’s  Sustainable  Livelihood  Program  (SLP).  The  boats,  which  were awarded to the beneficiaries last April 6, can be used for the fishermen’s small-time fishing activities.

Meanwhile, the skills they acquired from the training can open livelihood opportunities for them such as making boats and acting as resource persons in similar skills training.

This skills training, which costs PhP967,250, is part of the SLP’s employment facilitation scheme that trains program participants towards gainful employment.# [Photo Credit: MPFaller]

 

About 2,500 passengers who were stranded in Batangas Port because of Typhoon Nina were provided hot meals through the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) mobile kitchen set up in the said port last December 27, 2016.

The said mobile kitchen was made in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the provincial government of Batangas, the Philippine Ports Authority and the Asian Terminal Incorporated.

According to the DSWD, the need for the setting up of the mobile kitchen was due to the significant number of stranded passengers who were bound to regions MiMaRoPa, VI and VII since December 24.

The DSWD Field Office IV-A, through its Quick Respond Fund, funded a total of PhP26,573.00 as augmentation support to this mobile kitchen. The said amount covered the purchase of hot meals including rice, corned beef, chicken arozcaldo and beef noodles served from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

The AFP, on the other hand, managed the mobile kitchen and provided gallons of water to cover the needs of the passengers.

The AFP mobile kitchen is donated to the Philippines by the Korean Government after its use during the Yolanda operations in 2014.#

The Adarna Group Foundation, Inc. (AGFI), in partnership with the local government of San Antonio, Quezon, completed the pilot implementation of the Barangay Early Literacy Program for beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program last December 9 in the said municipality.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office IV-A has partnered with the AGFI to better encourage the Pantawid Pamilya parent-grantees to support the education of the children, in support to one of the goals of the program, which is to ensure all children are in school.

A total of 50 parent-grantees and four to five-year-old children of the Pantawid Pamilya program in the said municipality participated in this activity.

The AGFI, through their Barangay Early Literacy Program, promotes the importance of early literacy to barangays and institutions through art, music and movement class for small children and their parents.

According to DSWD Field Office IV-A Regional Director Leticia T. Diokno, the collaboration between the DSWD and the AGFI complements the resources and services of the two offices in addressing the needs of the disadvantaged families, particularly the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya program.

Activities during the pilot implementation of the program include discussion on the significance of exposing children to early literacy, storytelling session, music and movement activity and distribution of story books.

Further, the AGFI also conducted a workshop on the development of materials, creative presentation and storytelling for children to a total of 22 child development workers from the said municipality.

The DSWD Field Office IV-A is continuously engaging the AGFI as a civil society organization partner for their various child literacy programs. Through this partnership, other literacy programs are set to be conducted for other beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya in other parts of the region.# with reports from HSMaligaya & MAGDiaz

When a small feeds supply business started, 21 women began seeing a different future for their families. However, the story does not end with the 21 of them.

Liza Bay, 43 years old, the treasurer of the Mapayapang Poblacion 2 Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) Association, shares how their humble feeds supply business is not only helping their members but as well as other poor families in their community.

Liza, a resident of Brgy. Poblacion 2 in Agdangan, Quezon Province, is a beneficiary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program since 2009. This program is directed to qualified poor families with children zero to 18 years old in support to their needs on health and education.

As a strategy to improve the living condition of poor families like Liza’s, the DSWD prioritizes beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya in the SLP, which provides skills training to program-participants towards micro-enterprise development or gainful employment.

When Liza’s group, all members are Pantawid Pamilya mother-beneficiaries, became beneficiaries of the SLP, the group decided to put up a feeds supply business not only because they project it is a good opportunity to earn but also an opportunity to help other Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in their municipality.

Business for their families

According to Pantawid Pamilya Municipal Link Darold Jopson, who is assigned in Agdangan, the putting up of businesses of the beneficiaries of the program undergoes thorough assessment and planning to ensure that businesses will thrive.

“Gina-guide namin sila sa pagpili ng mga nararapat na negosyo ayon sa kanilang kakayahan at sa pangangailangan sa lugar. Dahil din sa networks ng Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries dito sa Agdangan, natutulungan na rin sila na magkaroon ng siguradong customers para sa kanilang negosyo,” Jopson shared.

In August 2016, they opened their feed supply business. The SLP has awarded the association a total of PhP210,000, which they used to rent for their stall and initial products.

“Naisip po namin na magtinda ng feeds bilang negosyo dahil ito ang malakas dito sa amin. Marami ang nagnenegosyo ng pag-aalaga ng baboy kaya marami ang maaaring maging customers,” said Liza, who was manning the store alone in the afternoon.

Liza’s main source of income is through being a dealer of beauty products. She admits that with five children, it is difficult to provide for the needs of the children especially that her husband earns only occasionally through farming.

Further, Liza shares that the rest of the members of the association has similar circumstances as her. Most of them are laundrywomen, house helpers or stay-at-home mothers.

“Malaking tulong sa amin ang pagkakaroon ng negosyo. Kaming mga dating nasa bahay lang o konti ang kinikita ay may pagkakataon nang kumita. Marami rin sa amin ang bumili na ng sariling hayop para mag-alaga. Dito na kami sa aming tindahan bumibili,” she shared.

With this setup, members do not only help find another income opportunity for their families but they also help their business grow by the day.

Helping other poor families

Liza also gladly shares that majority of their customers are Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries from other barangays in their municipality.

“Marami po talagang mga benepisyaryo ang nagnenegosyo ng pag-aalaga ng baboy kaya dito na namin sila hinihikayat na mamili,” she said.

Liza and the rest of the group make sure that their prices are cheaper than their competitors in town, especially that they know that their customers are also financially struggling like them.

“Sa ganitong paraan, nakakatulong rin kami sa aming kapwa mahihirap habang tinutulungan nila kaming palaguin ang aming negosyo,” said Liza.

Mothers learning responsibility

More than the value of the group business, members of the association learned taking responsibilities seriously.

“Lahat kami ay may responsibilidad dito sa negosyo. Ang bawat isang miyembro ay nagbibigay ng half day na volunteer work kada linggo para magbantay ng tindahan,” Liza said.

She, as the treasurer of the group, is assigned in the afternoon daily and serves as a cashier.

For all of them, the success of their business is in every member’s shoulders. Together, they work hard to make the daily operation of the store smooth and plan for expansions in the future.

However, for Liza and the rest of the members of the Mapayapang Poblacion 2 SLP Association, one responsibility is most treasured. It is the responsibility to help other poor families to move towards improving their lives.

For this, they are continuously inspired by every beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilya program who stands up and makes a way to change their lives.#

Seven organizations have formally partnered with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office IV-A in the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program through a signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) last November 9 in Los Banos, Laguna.

Two of these organizations are academe partners—the Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation in Lucena City and the Lyceum of the Philippines Laguna in Calamba City—that will be helping in the facilitation of the monthly Family Development Sessions (FDS) of the parent-grantees of the Pantawid Pamilya program.

The FDS is a component of the Pantawid Pamilya that teaches topics on strengthening marital relations, children’s rights, disaster preparedness and budget management among others.

The Lyceum of the Philippines Laguna will also be helping in the provision of livelihood and employment to beneficiaries through referral system and skills training.

Other partners include the Operation Smile Philippines Foundation, Inc. for the provision of reconstructive surgery and related healthcare to children with cleft lip and palate and other facial deformities; the REINA Federation of Parents Associations, Inc. and the Yakap sa Kaunlaran ng Bata, Inc. for the advocacy and organization of the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children and facilitation of the FDS; the Avon Cosmetics, Inc. for the provision of livelihood programs and employment opportunities for the beneficiaries, and; the Generika Drugstore Los Baños Branch for the provision of discount on medicines and laboratory tests as well as the conduct of health awareness and generic medicine lectures during Pantawid Pamilya FDS.

“We laud the intention of these organizations in partnering in the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Our Department greatly needs the help of CSOs so we can successfully help improve the lives of our beneficiaries,” said DSWD IV-A Regional Director Leticia Diokno.

Teresita Coronacion, president of the REINA Federation of Parents Association, shared that they are always open towards helping the government, especially in the implementation of programs for the welfare of the children.

To date, there are 28 CSOs with formal partnership with the Department in the program implementation.

The Pantawid Pamilya is a social protection program of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to qualified poor families in support for the needs on health, nutrition and education of children zero to 18 years old.

In the CALABARZON Region, there are 316,281 household-beneficiaries of this program.#