In a State of DSWD Region 1 Report, Regional Director Marcelo Nicomedes J. Castillo presented the implementation status of social protection programs and services for the needy and vulnerable sectors.

 In the presence  of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries;  media partners  ABS-CBN TV 3 Baguio, Philippine Information Agency, DZAG- Radyo ng Bayan, DZNL- Aksyon Radyo, Amianan Tribune, DZSO – Bombo Radyo; Civil Society Organization representative – Liwawa Ed Asinan Foundation, La Union Provincial Social Welfare  and staff, the activity was  held at DSWD Conference Room on September 30, 2013.

 With the convergence strategy, DSWD is hopeful that the identified 247,882 poor families in Region 1 will attain improved quality of life through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Sustainable Livelihood Program and the converged efforts with other regional line agencies, civil society organizations and other partners in social development .

 With this number of poor families,  75% of them or 187,336 households  are already assisted by the  Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program through cash grants used for education and health needs of 0-14  years old children.

 In the provinces of Region 1, these are the magnitude of poor households assisted by the Pantawid Pamilya Program: 113,528  in Pangasinan; 30,327 in La Union; 18,531 in Ilocos Norte; and 24,240 in Ilocos Sur.

 For the poor Families in Especially Difficult Circumstances, there are 655  enrolled in the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer Program and 1,032 children under the Extended Age Coverage Program. On the other hand, 159  poor students are enrolled through the  STUDENTS GRANTS IN AID PROGRAM FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION (SGP-PA)   in partnership with  Don  Mariano  Marcos  Memorial  State University in La Union and Mariano Marcos State University in Batac City.

 Complementing the goals of the Pantawid Pamilya Program, the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) provided capital assistance and facilitated employment to beneficiaries in the Sets 1 and 2 areas. With this, a total of 7,652 households were given capital assistance with a total of Php 33,082,000.00. External partners such as microfinance institutions also helped at least 753 poor families, while 93 poor families got assistance from other  National Government Agencies and from the Local Government Units.

 With the Department of Public Works and Highways, 284 Pantawid beneficiaries accessed the ‘Trabahong Lansangan’ that enabled them to work for 6 months at a minimum wage on road-works construction.

 Strengthening the public-private partnership, DSWD Region 1 has collaborated with 130 civil society organizations to pour in their technical expertise and resources to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries.

 ‘As affirmed by Dir. Castillo, these CSOs  are  the extended arms of DSWD in reaching more families needed to be served and empowered through social protection programs that they participated in.

Under the Bottom Up Budgeting, DSWD steered 8 LGUs of La Union to implement 77 community projects  with a total funds of Php 11,700,000.00.