Posted on by Lucy Galvez

Ms. Mitzi Vina Tamayo, Project Development Officer III from the SLP National Project Management Office (NPMO) addresses all the representatives from the different NGAs and CSOs and recognizes their importance in the project implementation through their partnership with DSWD. She underscored that all efforts made through their partnership are geared towards the improvement of all Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries’ quality of life.
Ms. Mitzi Vina Tamayo, Project Development Officer III from the SLP National Project Management Office (NPMO) addresses all the representatives from the different NGAs and CSOs and recognizes their importance in the project implementation through their partnership with DSWD. She underscored that all efforts made through their partnership are geared towards the improvement of all Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries’ quality of life.

SAN FERNANDO CITY, LA UNION – To strengthen the implementation of existing convergence initiatives and expand additional areas of cooperation with the participation of partner agencies, institutions and organizations, the Sustainable Livelihood Unit of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 1 (DSWD FO1) conducted a Partnership Forum on Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) at the Sea and Sky Hotel and Restaurant, recently.

Prospective partners from the different National Government Agencies (NGAs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Business Sector were convened to the said forum to present overview of their programs and services. As such, served as take-off points for each other to collaborate and converge for the better implementation of all the programs and services and share the possible interventions in assisting all Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries through the SLP.

The commitment to extend their programs and services to all the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya was given by the seven (7) NGAs and six (6) CSOs to include the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Tourism (DOT), Responsible Citizens Empowered Communities in Solidarity for Change (RECITE), Agapeland Community Transformation Inc., International Holistic Engagement for Life and Progress (I HELP), Bread and Water Tribes and Nations Outreach, BPI-Globe Banko, and Tulay sa Pag-unlad Inc. (TSPI), respectively.

TESDA agreed to identify the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries who are already recipients of the Cash for Training Program for the DOLE Skills Registry System (SRS) registration for them to avail other skills training and scholarship programs and for the easy facilitation of job matching and employment. DOLE can also provide employment and career counseling/coaching to those who are already registered at the SRS.

DOT’s possible intervention is to include qualified Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in the Community Based Cove Tour Guide Training in Bani and Mabini, Pangasinan.

Success stories or news articles of the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries shall be featured in the One Luzon Magazine of the PIA and such beneficiaries can also be invited to guest on radio program of PIA. Social networking sites will also be utilized by the PIA to widen the promotion of these success stories and news articles and to attract other organizations to become partners in the implementation of SLP. PIA also assured their assistance to DSWD in the formulation of a communication plan for the SLP.

Meanwhile, all the CSOs recognized their contribution for being a potential partner in the conduct of SLP Social Preparation Stage since they offer skills training, capital assistance, scholarship programs, savings insurance and credit facility to all the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries.

Some of the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries who are now experiencing a great change in their life through SLP’s partnership with different NGAs, CSOs, and business sectors shared their testimonies and expressed their heartfelt thanks to DSWD. The success stories of the beneficiaries served as inspirations to the participants to become one of the partners of DSWD in transforming the lives of the needy.

According to Assistant Regional Director Marlene Febes D. Peralta, the conduct of the said forum strengthened DSWD’s partnership with NGAs, CSOs, and business sectors and likewise provided an avenue for the discovery of new areas of engagement for the new partners. Such partnership will be a legacy to the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries that their life may change and improve.

She further added that though the commitments made by the participants in the forum were not yet supported by a document, the Department relies on the “word of honor” that someday they will enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with SLP to materialize their pledge for all the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries.

By Jaesem Ryan A. Gaces, Administrative Assistant V, NHTS-PR