This was the main message of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman during the recently held Galing Pook local governance fair entitled, “Mamamayan, Mamamayani” wherein DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) were showcased.
Pantawid Pamilya is a human development program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor households, primarily of children aged 0-18. The program seeks to break the intergenerational cycle poverty.
Kalahi-CIDSS seeks to help alleviate poverty by capacitating people so they will have the opportunity to identify, implement, an
d manage community projects and resources that will address their most pressing needs.
The fair, organized by Galing Pook Foundation, aimed to recognize the good governance initiatives of civil society organizations (CSOs), non-government organizations (NGOs), national government agencies (NGAs), and local government units (LGUs) from across the country. In particular, it sought to acknowledge the efforts made by these sectors in promoting citizen participation in local governance.
Pantawid Pamilya and Kalahi-CIDSS are two of DSWD’s programs that include active citizenship and people participation as major components.
Sec. Soliman said that these programs capacitate and empower the beneficiaries to enable them to participate in nation-building.
During the workshop sessions, Kalahi-CIDSS volunteers and Pantawid Pamilya parent leaders shared how the program contributed to their development.
Sec. Soliman thanked Galing Pook for recognizing the contributions of Kalahi-CIDSS, Pantawid Pamilya, and Sustainable Livelihood Program in empowering people towards participating in local governance.
Changing lives
Volunteers from Kalahi-CIDSS and Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries shared their life-changing experience through the program.
Ms. Cherry Santoyo, Merlinda Ariola, and Editha Labsan of Mangorocoro, Ajuy, Iloilo said that, more than the seawall constructed through the program, Kalahi-CIDSS transformed their entire community to become leaders in their town’s development.
“May tatlong M sa Kalahi-CIDSS – masarap, mahirap, maganda (There are three Ms in Kalahi-CIDSS—masarap, mahirap, maganda),” Editha said.
She also added that the people of Mangorocoro are proud of their Kalahi-CIDSS project, keeping them safe from disasters.
“Walang nakasira ng seawall namin, kahit ang bagyong ‘Yolanda’ (Nothing has toppled our seawall, not even ‘Yolanda’),” she added.
May Lacson, a single mother of two, recounted her life before becoming a beneficiary of the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer program (MCCT).
“Sa gilid ng kalye lang kami natutulog mag-iina. Akala ko hanggang doon na lang kami (My children and I slept on the sidewalk. I thought then that this kind of life was all that we would amount to),” she said.
“Sa pag-abot ng kamay ng tulong ng DSWD sa akin, nagbago ang buhay namin. Puwede pa pala kaming tumira sa bahay. Natutunan ko din na puwede pala akong maging mabuting ina sa aking mga anak. Ngayon pinagtutuunan ko ng pansin ang edukasyon nila. Isa na rin akong parent leader sa tulong ng DSWD kaya’t maraming salamat (When DSWD helped us, our lives changed. We already have a house. I also learned that I can also be a good mother to my children. I now focus on their studies. I am also a parent-leader. I thank DSWD for all of these),” May added.
Alyannah Terite, a Pantawid Pamilya youth beneficiary who recently graduated from high school, also expressed her gratitude for the program which helped her pursue her dream for a higher education.
Now a college student, Alyannah said the program inspired her to continue striving to aspire for more.
She also expressed her views on good governance and stressed that all sectors have to contribute to achieve a progressive nation. “Kung kaya naman magbago ngayon, bakit ipapasa pa sa susunod na henerasyon? (If we can achieve change now, why wait to pass it on to the next generation?),” she said.
Among world’s best Local chief executives and other sectors also recognized the different programs of DSWD for inciting change in their locality.
Hinatuan, Surigao Del Sur Mayor Candelario Viola Jr. also shared how Pantawid Pamilya contributed to the development of their town.
Ms. Sashka Posarac of World Bank also lauded the programs of DSWD saying that Kalahi-CIDSS and Pantawid Pamilya are among the best programs in the world. # Source – www.dswd.gov.ph
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