With the increasing number of partners, many Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are encouraged to avail the cost-free engagement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) by entering into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).

Once entered into a MOA with DSWD, the partner CSO is entitled to trainings/seminars, capability building activities, possibility of network expansion, mutual sharing of skills, transfer of technology, resource augmentation, and funding support for project engagements.

Facilitation of membership or registration of CSOs is direct to the DSWD and not through any organization.

A certain NGO/CSO that allegedly has a MOA with funding for Family Development Session (FDS) from the DSWD is making rounds to the different NGOs/CSOs convincing them to join with a promise of shared funding whenever they conduct FDS, provided, however, that the prospective NGO/CSO will pay fees for membership and ID.  This violates the objective of CSO engagement with DSWD.

CSOs engage in one or more of the four categories of partnership – Bantay, Gabay, Kaagapay, and Tulay – depending on their mandate and capacity for faster, better, and smarter delivery of services of the core poverty programs of the Department  (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Sustainable Livelihood Program, and KALAHI-CIDSS) institutionalizing transparency and accountability.

The partner CSO may commence with the implementation of the approved partnership agreement in coordination with the DSWD after signing the MOA and in accordance with the timelines indicated in the action plan in coordination with the City/Municipal Action Team.

Partnership of the Department with the CSOs is stipulated in DSWD Memorandum  Circular No. 7 series of 2012 entitled “Framework on the Engagement with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on the Implementation of the DSWD Social Protection Programs”. (by: Jaesem Ryan A. Gaces, Information Officer II/Pantawid Pamilya)