The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) launched recently its Bawal Ang Epal Dito campaign to protect the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program from partisan politics that may affect the credibility of the program. This campaign runs from January to May 2013.

Bawal Ang Epal Dito campaign deals with the issues of external pressures and misconception of the beneficiaries about the involvement of politicians in the implementation of Pantawid Pamilya.  More importantly, it seeks to empower the beneficiaries to know their rights and to be vigilant of individuals and/or groups who plan to use the program to push their political agenda.
This campaign will increase the knowledge of both the beneficiaries and the public about the conditionalities of the program and the selection and removal of households.  Likewise, the campaign will protect the households from unverified threats of removal from the program if they will not support certain politicians in the upcoming elections.

DSWD-NCR Regional Director Ma. Alicia S. Bonoan stated that the campaign emphasizes key messages that will inform the public and the beneficiaries that only the DSWD Regional and National Office have the authority to delist a beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.  This action will only be done after thorough validation of compliance to conditionalities of the program.

“DSWD lang ang may karapatang tanggalin ang benepisyaryo sa Pantawid Pamilya kung hindi siya susunod sa mga itinakdang kondisyon ng programa,” Bonoan continued.

With the upcoming 2013 elections, the Department continuously receives reports through its Grievance Redress System that there are politicians who claim to have authority to enlist and delist beneficiaries from the program.

The Pantawid Pamilya is a human development program of the national government and social protection strategy that invests in the health and education of poor children 0-14 years old. As of January 9, 2013, the program has 3,843,502 household beneficiaries nationwide. Of this number, 203,341 households are from the National Capital Region. (DSWD Field Office-NCR Communications Office/30 January 2013) ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development–National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR) participates in the simultaneous celebration of the DSWD’s 62nd anniversary that is being celebrated in 16 DSWD Regional Offices with the theme, “Sama-Samang Husay Tungo sa Tagumpay.”

The week-long celebration started January 28, 2013 during its Monday flag raising ceremony with the presentation of loyalty awards to employees who have rendered 10 to 35 years of dedicated service. Likewise, there was a tribute to the retirees.

There were 75 employees who have served the Department from 10 to 35 years and were given loyalty awards.  Each awardee received a plaque of recognition and cash incentive. Meanwhile, 17 retirees were also honoured for their contribution in the efficient delivery of social welfare programs and services.

DSWD-NCR Regional Director Ma. Alicia S. Bonoan, in her inspirational message, expressed gratitude to everyone and emphasized that DSWD has reached the 62nd blessed year because of the support it continuously receives from its internal staff and SWD partners.

Ms. Florida Corpuz, Nutritionist Dietician I of Sanctuary Center, who received her 35 years loyalty award, narrates her journey from being a volunteer in 1977 until she got the stint of dietician at Elsie Gaches Village, onward to Marillac Hills and then to Sanctuary Center.

In her response, Ms. Corpuz said, “I don’t know how to start but one thing is sure, I am grateful for the opportunity of working with DSWD serving the mentally challenged children at Elsie Gaches Village and the abused youths in Marillac Hills.  My profession grew further when I was transferred to Sanctuary Center to serve the recovered mental patients,” she continued.

The week-long celebration includes photo slide show of DSWD activities, display and sale of livelihood products made by the program beneficiaries and wellness activities for DSWD-NCR staff. ###

Department of Social Welfare and Development – National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR) joins the whole nation the observance of the National Autism Week from January 20 to 27, 2013.  This year’s theme is “Autismo Alamin: Pagtanggap at Pag-unawa Palaganapin”.

In support to the event, persons with disabilities (PWD) clients from DSWD-NCR’s Elsie Gaches Village, National Vocaltional Rehabilitation Center and Rehabilitation Sheltered Workshop participated in the  “Angels Walk for Autism”  held at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City last January 20, 2013. It was spearheaded by the Autism Society of the Philippines, in partnership with government and non-government organizations.

The week-long celebration is in line with Presidential Proclamation No. 711 issued by Former President Fidel V. Ramos in 1996 to generate awareness, acceptance and understanding on people with autism to provide equal rights, access to education, services and facilities enjoyed by the non-disabled people. ###

Eighty-one years old Teodosia Domingo, from Brgy. Poblacion beams with pride and happiness after receiving her social pension for the first time.

“Masaya ako na makatanggap ng tulong na ito (I am happy for this assistance)”, Aling Teody expressed.

She has heart ailment and arthritis but because of financial difficulty, she is unable to sustain her medication.  She buys medicines only when she has extra money.

She earns a living from invitations of her neighbors to lead prayer offerings for their family and being paid P500 for her service.

“Mag-isa lang ako sa bahay kasi may mga pamilya na rin ang dalawa kong anak, (I live alone because my two children have their own families),” Aling Teody added.
Thankful for the pension
“Ang natatanggap kong pensyon ay ibinibili ko ng bigas at ulam at pambayad sa tubig at kuryente, pero unti-unti lang ang pag gastos ko para hindi agad maubos (The pension I am receiving is being spent on food and utility bills, and I am cautious in spending it),” said German Barsolaso, 80 years old from Addition Hills, Brgy. Welfareville, Compound, Mandaluyong City.

German or Mang Boy as he is fondly called also lives alone in a rented room in Welfareville Compound.  He has two children who have their respective familes in Malolos, Bulacan.  He sells candies in the neighbourhood for a living.

“Nagtitinda ako ng mga kendi kung may kapital para mabuhay pero nauubos din kaya walang natitira sa akin (I sell candies when I have capital but the proceeds are also exhausted),” Mang Boy narrated.

While waiting for his turn to get his pension during the pay-out in Mandaluyong City last January 16, he keeps on telling that he is thankful for the pension he receives regularly as it is wholeheartedly given to indigent seniors like him.

Despite his old age, he patiently waited for his turn to claim his fourth quarter pension of P1,500.

When it was his turn to claim his pension, he happily shook hands with all the DSWD and LGU staff who were managing the pay-out.  On his exit from the line, he smiled, tapped the shoulders and shook hands with his fellow pensioners, to show that he successfully hurdled the long queue.

First time recipient

Aling Teody and Mang Boy are  two of the 5,419 beneficiaries of Social Pension Program in the National Capital Region (NCR) who are receiving monthly pension on quarterly basis.  Of these, 228 are from Mandaluyong City.

The payment of social pension for indigent senior citizens is provided for under Republic Act No. 9994, also known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act (ESCA) of 2010. It provides a monthly assistance or subsidy of P500, given on a quarterly basis, to the pre-identified indigent senior citizens who are frail, sickly and disabled, without any regular source of income and/or support from any member of the family, and not receiving other pension benefits from government and private agencies.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) treats some 1,500 street children from 17 local government units in Metro Manila through its Pasko ng Batang Pinoy Project, held yesterday (December 19) in two venues, San Andres Sports Complex in Malate and at Malacañang Palace grounds.

The event at San Andres Sports Complex was filled with fun, games, foods and entertainment. Children participants also showcased their talents in a friendly singing and dancing competition.

In the afternoon, President Benigno C. Aquino and DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, together with other cabinet secretaries welcomed the children participants at Malacañang Palace grounds.

President Aquino, with his cabinet secretaries personally distributed the Noche Buena packs and bags of school supplies to the 1,500 street children as their ‘pamasko’ from the President.

The President was also joined by the street children in the ceremonial lighting of the Malacanang Palace Christmas tree.

Meanwile, Secretary Soliman led the awarding of prizes to winners in singing, dancing, and parol and belen making contest.  Winners received cash prizes which shall be used to augment the funds in the implementation of activities in activity centers.

DSWD-NCR Regional Director, Ma. Alicia S. Bonoan said that this annual event is one of the alternative activities that DSWD implements for street children in Metro Manila to prevent them from carolling and begging along major thoroughfares and roads.

Under the Paskuhan ng Batang Pinoy Project, street children participate in various developmental activities such as singing, dancing, theatre arts, arts and crafts, belen and parol making, among others.  These activities are conducted in LGU or NGO designated activity centers.

DSWD also provides hot meals to these street children while they are in activity centers.  “We encourage volunteers and partners to assist us in the implementation of this project by facilitating developmental activities and by provision of support services to street children to keep them off the streets,” said Bonoan.

Bonoan added that the Pasko ng Batang Pinoy Project is part of DSWD’s comprehensive program for street children, street families especially Bajaus that provided complete package of social protection services for immediate relief of their condition.

The comprehensive program offers balik-probinsya assistance to families and individual adults, educational and food assistance to in-school street children and Bajaus, livelihood assistance and cash for work.

It also offers incentives to the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) in acknowledgment of their efforts to lessen the incidence of street dwellers and children in their area of jurisdiction and in maximizing barangay support to the address concerns on street children and dwellers. ###

Peer pressure, struggle for power and survival.  These are just some of the reasons why some children, commonly called by media as ‘batang hamog’ prefer to stay on the streets.

Rolando, 15 years old from Las Piñas City has made the street his home and his playground for almost a year now. He was lured to street dwelling because of peer influence and defiance to his parent’s advice.  He goes home when he wants to.

On the street, Rolando has been exposed to factors that led him to commit crimes.  He found friends that he calls his gang.  They frequently got into trouble, such as throwing of stones to other group, stabbing their opponents and solvent sniffing.

Rolando was apprehended by police operatives for snatching.

Under Republic Act 9344, no child 15 or younger may be charged for a criminal act. Minors above 15 but below 18 may be held criminally liable only if they are shown to have acted with discernment.

In the case of Roland, he was not jailed.  Instead, he was turned over to the Social Development Center of the city of Las Piñas under the supervision of the City Social Welfare and Development Office to undergo diversion program.

Now, Rolando has been part of the recently launched Cash for Work Project for street children of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR).

DSWD-NCR Regional Director, Ma. Alicia S. Bonoan said that the project aims to provide opportunity to street youth to develop positive skills and experience community service by rendering certain number of hours of work with appropriate supervision of local social workers and authorities.

Bonoan explained that children on the streets like Rolando are more prone to become children in conflict with the law (CICL) because the risk factors are higher than protective factors.  This means that their found peers would drive them to commit offenses and their limited life skills, lack of love and attention from caring adults make them more vulnerable.

“This is one way of diverting the children to prevent them from committing street crimes, begging, scavenging and vending on the streets,” Bonoan added.

At least 157 identified street children from 17 LGUs in Metro Manila known to the community as ‘batang hamog’ will benefit from this project.

Youths will render four hours of community service and shall be paid with P303.00 per day for 30 days.

“Under this project, the youths shall render community work such as street sweepers, garbage collectors, assistants in activity centers, and volunteer in community sports fest activities among others.

Rolando has learned a lot of lessons from his diversion program. He shared that the hardships in life are challenges and that God helps us overcome them.

“Ang lahat ng pagsubok ay bigay ng Diyos.  Huwag lang mawawalan ng pag-asa dahil hindi naman Siya nagpapabaya, basta magsumikap lang ang tao,’ Rolando shared.

He sees that this project is an opportunity for him to change for the better and be an active member of society. ###

The choral group of Elsie Gaches Village which is composed of fifteen (15) upper trainable clients and eight (8) staff serenaded the mall goers with their own rendition of Christmas songs last December 8 & 9, 2012 respectively.

Mall goers and shoppers of Alabang Town Center and Festival Tent in Alabang, Muntinlupa City were delighted by the performances of the choral group.

Ms. Elizabeth Panambo, Head Social Worker of EGV said that event organizers of the Alabang Town Center and Festival Tent invited their clients to perform in their respective events.

She added that the activity served as venue for the clients to showcase their talents and for the center to advocate for support in meeting the needs of its mentally challenged clients. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development in the National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR) discourages the public from giving alms to street children and enjoins them to help in its campaign to prevent the children from street begging and carolling.

DSWD-NCR Regional Director, Ma. Alicia S. Bonoan said that more children and indigenous people go out of the streets, especially during Christmas season to beg and carol in the busy streets of Metro Manila because they believe that people are more generous during this season.
“We are discouraging the public from giving alms to these children and IPs because tolerating their acts will make them more vulnerable to road accidents and various forms of abuses and exploitations,” said DSWD-NCR Regional Director, Ma. Alicia S. Bonoan.

Bonoan also appealed to LGUs to strengthen its Barangay Council for Protection of Children to ensure that the rights of children are promoted and that child welfare laws are implemented.

She further reminded the parents to be responsible in safeguarding their children and provide them their much needed support.

She also encouraged the public to help report sightings of street children in Metro Manila through DSWD twitter account @savestreetkids (https://twitter.com/savestreetkids).  To tweet, simply key in savestreetkids/complete name of street/intersection/city/nearest landmarks and time of sightings.

“The DSWD closely coordinates with the local government units in addressing the concerns on street children.  Reported cases through twitter shall be responded by our reach-out team, in coordination with the concerned LGU or barangay.  The reached-out children will be brought to Reception and Action Center (RAC) or Social Development Center (SDC) of LGUs or to DSWD run institutions for provision of appropriate services and interventions,” Bonoan added.###