Through a Social Welfare and Development (SWD) forum, the Department of Social Welfare and Development – National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR) recently convened its partners from public and private sectors for the implementation of various social welfare and development programs and services.
With this, representatives from LGUs, National Government Agencies, NGOs, DSWD Centers and Residential Care Facilities and the agency’s representatives from its units and divisions discussed the good practices and other concerns in protecting the rights of the vulnerable sector.
Carrying the theme of “Progressive Public and Private Partnership in promoting the rights of the vulnerable sector,” the first semester SWD forum for 2016 was attended by a total of 68 participants from the above-mentioned agencies/institutions.
In her welcome remarks, DSWD-NCR Assistant Regional Director Jacel J. Paguio encouraged the participants to maximize the objectives of the forum as it serves as an opportunity in establishing effective partnership among their fellow service providers for the marginalized sector of the society.
“We are here not only to criticize the presenters… this is a mature engagement to have a safe venue where we can promptly exchange our views in terms of implementing our programs and services that are in line with our agencies’ respective missions, visions and goals,” Director Jacel emphasized.
Included among the participants of the activity are the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya program, Modified Conditional Cash Transfer for Homeless Street Families (MCCT-HSF), Comprehensive Program for Street Children and clients from DSWD-NCR’s centers and RCFs.
As part of the activity, the beneficiaries shared their testimonial as recipient of the programs where Christopher Cielo, 19 years old and a former “Batang hamog” confidently narrated how the Comprehensive Program for Street Children has helped him to back in studying.
“Marami akong napasukang trabaho noon bago ako masagip ng DSWD bilang batang hamog… pagtambay sa kalsada ang kinalakihan ko… pero habang nagtatrabaho ako, ramdam ko na may kulang sa akin kaya pinangarap ko talagang makabalik sa pag-aaral,” Christpher shared.
After Christopher was reached-out in 2013 along the streets in Manila, he then became a beneficiary of community service children where he was assigned at the district office of Manila Social Welfare Department and performed administrative support. It is in the form of cash-for-work where he received P360.75 per day.
Since 2015 to present, Christopher serves as a street facilitator of DSWD also through the cash-for-work scheme where he belongs to the Department’s support team in assessing and preventing the children/families to linger and stay on the streets.
Currently, Christopher is now enrolled at Universidad de Manila and taking up Electrical Engineering wherein the partner NGO of DSWD-NCR, the Sun for all Children is providing educational assistance for his study. Also through the Department’s Protective Service Program which includes the educational assistance program, Christopher receives additional financial support for his other expenses.
“Sana ay huwag magtapos ang programang ito… dahil para sa aming naligaw ng landas, kayo ang gumabagay sa amin para sa tunay na pagbabago,” Christopher concluded.
DSWD-NCR is holding SWD forum twice a year to provide a venue for collaboration of public and private agencies/ institutions in terms of the delivery of coordinated social protection and poverty reductions programs and services.###