The Province of Kalinga is set to use the DSWD’s database of poor households for its local anti-poverty initiatives after its provincial government recently forged a data sharing agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development – Field Office Cordillera through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction or Listahanan.

Listahanan is an information management system that identifies who and where the poor are in the country. It makes the database of poor households available as basis for identifying potential beneficiaries of social protection programs and services.

Provincial Planning and Development Officer Flordeliza Moldero said the Listahanan will help the province triangulate data to update its socio-economic profile which is the main reference for its provincial development plan. She also said the provincial government plans to use the database in identifying beneficiaries of its social protection programs particularly the “Pumiyaan” – a poverty reduction strategy that aims to provide skills training, financial assistance, and equipment support to poor families and communities.

For her part, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Digna Dalutag expressed her gratitude to the DSWD for sharing the data. She underscored the benefits of having the needed information to inform local social protection policies. According to her, the Listahanan will help her office plan, program, and allocate resources especially for sectoral groups since specific profiles of individuals are needed to help match appropriate programs for them.

The DSWD has released the database to the provincial government after a series of orientation activities as well strict adherence to DSWD data sharing requirements in compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012. The data sharing agreement was signed by Kalinga Governor Jocel C. Baac and DSWD Regional Director Janet P. Armas.

For the DSWD, the regional director congratulated the province of Kalinga for being the first province in the Cordillera to sign a data sharing agreement with the Department. She also encouraged other local government units, national government agencies, and other organizations to maximize the use of Listahanan in assisting more poor families and individuals through data sharing. #DSWD-CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, Mark Erik King Guanzon

Cordillera Administrative Region– As Valentine’s Day approaches, the Department of Social Welfare and Development here is intensifying its search for individuals and families who are willing to share their unconditional love.

This is part of this year’s observation of the Adoption Consciousness Month with the theme “Spreading Unconditional Love through Legal Adoption”.

“Since 2017, we have been using this theme for our Adoption Consciousness Month celebration because we want to further advocate the need to undergo the legal process of alternative parental care.  By doing so, we are also protecting their right to identity. And these are just some of the ways that we can show our love for our children”, OIC- Regional Director Janet P. Armas said.

Alternative parental care is a child care or placement service provided to children in especially difficult circumstances who cannot be taken care of by their biological parents. This can be temporary and is called foster care that has the goal to provide temporary and planned substitute family care for the child while the biological family or relatives are being prepared for the child’s return or while a more appropriate permanent placement is being worked out. Kinship care and legal guardianship may also fall under foster care where as relatives and/or pre-identified individuals are given authority to look after the children.

“Individuals who are taking care of children who are not their own should apply for a foster care license especially if the child is under their custody for a long period of time. This may include grandparents rearing their grandchildren because their parents, for some reason, have left these, or individuals who wish to take care of the children of their less fortune relatives”, Director Armas added.

On the other hand, adoption is a socio-legal process of giving a permanent home to a child whose parents have voluntarily given up their parental rights. This also gives the adopted child all the legal rights a biological child is mandated to have.

Data from the Adoption Resource and Referral Section (ARSS) of the DSWD show a decrease in the number of children placed for foster care as well as those who were adopted. In 2016, there were 67 children placed for foster care, 78 in 2017 but only 47 in 2018 while children who were adopted in 2016 reached 24, 31 in 2017 and 18 in 2018. Number of foster parents developed also decreased from 85 in 2016 to 56 in 2017 and 30 in 2018.

“As we have observed, our centers were able to admit lesser number children in difficult circumstances in 2018. This might be the reason in the decrease in our number in 2018. However, this poses a challenge for us to further strengthen our advocacies to promote legal adoption and foster care. We will continue our efforts until every child in our community finds a family that can give them the unconditional love that they deserve”, Director Armas shared.

Interested individuals and families may visit the Adoption Resource and Referral Section of DSWD-CAR at # 40 North Drive, Baguio City or call (074) 444-32-09 or +63939-770-74-37 or e-mail at dswdcar_arrs@yahoo.com.

Meanwhile, the DSWD-CAR will also be conducting a forum on 23 February 2019 to discuss the basic information on adoption and foster care. The said forum is a requirement for those who are interested to undergo the legal process of adoption. Help desks will also be set-up in various public places as part of the Adoption Consciousness Month Celebration. #DSWD-CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, Nerizza Faye G. Villanueva

Cordillera Administrative Region- A livelihood training center worth 2.1 Million was turned over to a local coffee growers’ group in Badeo, Kibungan, Benguet on January 31, 2019.

The Badeo Arabica Coffee Growers’ Organization (BACGO) formally accepted the responsibility of managing and maintaining the livelihood training center which was built through the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS and the local government unit of Kibungan.

DSWD-CAR Promotive Programs OIC Division Chief Arnold D. Lartec said the livelihood training center will serve as a facility for the residents to develop their skills as well as their products. He also reminded the community to always take care and maximize the facility to improve their income.

The barangay proposed the sub-project during the third cycle implementation of Kalahi-CIDSS stating that they need a facility where they can conduct livelihood activities.

Kalahi-CIDSS is a poverty reduction program of DSWD that uses the community-driven development approach in empowering communities. The program gives communities control in the identification, planning and implementation of activities and projects. One cycle of the program is ideally implemented in one year.

During the municipal inter-barangay forum for participatory resource allocation, representatives from the barangay presented that they are interested to gain additional income through their local products. However, the 6-8 hours hike to Barangay Poblacion always discourages them from attending capacity-building activities.

BACGO President Ambo Gapad said that trainings are usually held at the town center but recently many public and private agencies are willing to reach out and conduct livelihood trainings in Barangay Badeo, thus the decision to build a livelihood training center.

On the other hand, Kibungan Mayor Cesar Molitas expressed their support to the endeavor of the community. He further said that the local government unit supports local product development and provides necessary equipment through the office of the municipal agriculture.

Molitas also challenged the residents to increase their coffee and muscovado production for selling to target markets outside the municipality. Currently, their products are still on subsistence level.

Through the livelihood training center, the community is looking forward to develop and market their products in the municipality and to private individuals or shops outside the municipality.

BACGO President Gapad further shared that the officers and members of BACGO were trained on the operation and maintenance of the livelihood center, thus they are ready to take responsibility of its management.

Barangay Badeo received more than 4.8 million fund grant from Kalahi-CIDSS since 2015. Adding it with the LGU counterparts, they were able to implement a school building in Sitio Mocgao; a health station in Sitio Tableo; and the livelihood training center in Badeo Proper.

For four cycles, DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS and the municipality of Kibungan implemented around 33.6 million community grants in the seven barangays of the town. #DSWD-CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, Jasmin Kiaso

With the newly set-up water refilling station, they can expect not just a jug of clean drinking water but a supply enough for the whole community

After his classes, Jude, a Senior High School student, did not waste a minute. He immediately went home, changed his uniform and went his way to his part time job. Not long ago, he started delivering jars of drinking water to households around his barangay. One water jug delivered to the doorstep of customers will earn him five pesos.

“What I earn during the evenings is my allowance the next day,” Jude says. The desire to help his parents on their daily living expenses inspired him to work part-time as a water delivery boy. Jude earns around 100-150 pesos every evening.

This work opportunity for Jude started when his barangay established their own water refilling station. It never dawned to the people of San Juan Norte in Manabo, Abra that they will have their own water refilling station in their barangay until they heard that it was possible with the Kalahi-CIDSS project of DSWD.

“When Kalahi-CIDSS was introduced, we could not identify other projects except for a water refilling station,” Barangay Treasurer Rowena Curbi recalls. She remembers that her community was excited to implement a project that would somehow help them address their problems on health while promoting gainful employment.

Rowena related that they buy water from a refilling station at a neighboring barangay. Her family, a family of six, spends around 320 pesos monthly for their drinking water including delivery fee. “We are sometimes burdened with our water bill but it is better than compromising the health of our family,” Rowena voiced.

All these changed when their barangay was prioritized during the municipal inter-barangay forum for participatory resource allocation (MIBF-PRA) with the water refilling station as the sub-project.

Mary Jane Badilla, the chair of community volunteers in Barangay San Juan Norte shared that at first they lacked confidence to implement their proposed sub-project. “I thought that it would be too difficult to implement a water refilling station since it was our first time managing a project. In the end, I realized that it was not as complicated as I imagined. The willingness to learn matters the most,” she reflected.

A lookback to their journey

Community volunteers identified the water refilling station as their top priority need during their barangay participatory situational analysis in 2015.

The community also considered proposing a deepwell but after deliberating, the water refilling station came on top of their choices. They believed that this would best answer to some of their health problems, and their overburdening drinking water bills.

Procuring the materials for the water refilling station also proved to be difficult for the community. The community volunteers went as far as San Fernando, La Union to canvass quality materials and equipment for the refilling station.

With all the challenges that came with the implementation, the water refilling station was only completed on October 2017. Shortly after its turn-over, the station began its operation on December 2017 under the management of Barangay San Juan Norte Drinking Water Association.

With the fully functional water refilling station, residents of the barangay now buy water from the station they help build. For Rowena’s family, she says that they only spend 160 pesos monthly for their drinking water. “That is half the price of what we used to pay a couple of years ago,” she added.

As of today, there are around 146 families, including Rowena and Jude, benefitting from the San Juan Norte Purified Drinking Water. It has been operating for over a year now, however the station is still establishing itself in the industry. According to the president of the organization, they are still improving their operation and maintenance capabilities, and stabilizing financial status to provide better services to their customers.

The total cost of the refilling station inclusive of a storage located at the second floor, an  ozonizer and smothifier is ₽1,096,644.26.  #DSWD-CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, Jasmin Kiaso

Looking around the community, it looks as if it had always been healthy and typical for a lowland barangay. Patches of vegetable farms and sporadic fruits trees can be seen around the community. It is difficult to imagine what the community looks like a year ago.

Barangay Guimba, San Juan, Abra is plagued by floods especially during the rainy season.  Residents cannot plant in their farms or engage in livestock farming since knowing by experience, they will eventually lose those to the floods. Community members are too focused in taking care of their families and saving their properties during extreme weather conditions.

Punong Barangay Ricky Bernos narrated that whenever a typhoon hits the province, the community would keep watch of the Malanas River, which is roughly 15 meters away from the major residences.

“The flood became a usual thing in our barangay, so we are already used for overnight watch during disasters,” Bernos stated in vernacular. Sometimes, we would spend all day evacuating once we are informed of a typhoon or monsoon rains, he added.

Bernos also related that there were efforts of the local government unit to build a flood control. However, the flood control only made a small difference. “Our community is still flooded whenever the river swells,” Bernos continued.

“When we first heard about Kalahi-CIDSS, we grabbed the opportunity to partner with the program as we learned that they could help us build our capacities at the same time assist us implement a community project,” Bernos recalls. Unfortunately, the barangay was not prioritized during the first cycle implementation of Kalahi-CIDSS.

Bernos remembers that many community volunteers were dismayed after they did not make it to the priority projects to be implemented in 2016.

Disappointed as they may have been, they were still persistent that their time will come to implement their proposal to build a better flood control along the Malanas River. Without giving up, the barangay officials and community volunteers worked even harder to convince the assembly during an inter-barangay forum that they need to improve their flood control sooner than later. Their efforts paid off as their barangay was prioritized to implement the cycle 2 of the DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS.

Journey towards completing a community project

Severina Bosque, one of the community volunteers during the second cycle implementation of Kalahi-CIDSS reflected that it was not easy for them to follow the processes in implementing the program. “There were many times that we got overwhelmed on the processes we have to learn in implementing a project. Along the way, we all seem to be running out patience,” she said while letting out a sigh.

Mobilizing the community members is another challenge they had to tread. According to her, many residents doubted the success rate of program after they were not prioritized during the first cycle.

Holding on with the encouragement of their barangay officials and DSWD staff, the community’s doubts and sighs were replaced with smiles and laughter after their project proposal landed the top priority for the second cycle of Kalahi-CIDSS in their municipality.

The community volunteers had mixed feelings of excitement and worry, as it was their first time implementing a community project. “Our worries faded since the Kalahi-CIDSS staff assured us that they will provide trainings,” Severina shared. She also mentioned that she was happy to work as a paid laborer during the construction of the flood control. “I worked mostly on the hauling of aggregates and materials for the project,” she recalled.

After the project was completed in 2017, the community members did not yet feel the benefits of the improved flood control until the monsoon rains, which lasted for a month, affected the barangay on August 2018.

“It feels like a huge burden was lifted from our chest,” Punong Barangay Ricky Bernos commented when asked about their situation during the monsoon rains. “Our barangay didn’t experience flood in 2018,” he continued.

The 421 linear meter flood control now stands as a proof of cooperation and resilience of the people of Barangay Guimba. Cheers, to floods no more.

Kalahi-CIDSS is a program of DSWD that uses the community-driven development process as a strategy in poverty alleviation. #DSWD-CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, Jasmin Kiaso

With each vigorous pump, the well brings forth generous amount of water. The bucket was almost full when the teenager stopped to wipe off his sweat using the back of his hand. He told our team that he has been fetching water from the well since he came home from school.

This is the daily life of every household in Barangay Tagodtod in Lagangilang, Abra. The residents have to manually pump water for household uses. Marites Molina, a resident of the barangay, says that her family has been living without stable water supply as far as she can remember. “Nagrigat ah! (It is tough!),” she exclaimed when asked about how they manage their daily water needs.

Barangay Tagodtod, where around 358 households live, is being supplied by the municipality’s water district. However, its water supply is not sufficient to cater to the needs of every resident in the town.

According to Marites, water from the district is available for two hours only within the day. “We get to fill our water containers for two hours, but this is not enough for our kitchen, laundry, and for our bathroom needs,” she said.

When DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS was introduced to them in 2015, little did they know that their situation was about change ─ but not after going through a process and leaping through challenges.

During the first barangay assembly, Marites volunteered to join the project preparation team, where their main responsibility is to prepare the project proposal. Finally, this was her perfect chance to help end their struggle for safe and sufficient water for her community.

Marites says that preparing the project proposal was challenging. It was their first time doing it. She, however, expressed that the three-day training helped them to craft a proposal for a Level II Water System in their barangay.

Creating their own proposal was a success, but the implementation of such seemed elusive for them. The community was dismayed when they were not prioritized to implement their proposed sub-project during the first cycle of Kalahi-CIDSS. At that time, they had their first failure. Nevertheless, still, holding on with a tinge of hope, they were determined to make their proposal a reality.

Finally, in 2017 their persistence won them more than PhP 1.7 million budget to implement an electric-driven water supply system.

According to the community volunteers, the implementation of their sub-project went by smoothly and finally on February 2018, Barangay Tagodtod Electric-driven Water Supply System was completed.

Barangay Sub-project Management Committee Chair Salvador Viste, Sr. proudly told the visiting staff of Kalahi-CIDSS that the water system is already supplying over 250 households.

After care and maintenance of the water system

Completing the proposed sub-project refreshed and eased the residents of Barangay Tagodtod from their daily struggle for water. However, after the turnover of the project, the community members have to manage and maintain the water system on their own, which is even a greater task.

After a series of consultations and planning, the Tagodtod Barangay Water and Sanitation Association (TAGBAWASA) was designated to manage the operation and maintenance of the water system.

According to Viste, who is now the president of TAGBAWASA, there are obvious changes around the community after the water system started operating. “There are already vegetable gardens around the community because we can already grow them without relying on the rains,” he says. Improvement of health and sanitation in the barangay is also perceived.

As the operation and maintenance group of the water system, the TAGBAWASA has established officers and collectors to manage the project after it was turned over to them.

“We started from zero (budget), but we were able to start the operation [of the water system,” he shared. The organization collected 20 pesos membership fee to have a start-up budget to finally start operating their water system. As of November 2018, members of the association increased from 218 to 255. It is expected that the remaining households in the barangay will join the association soon.

Since the water system started operating, the association recorded at least PhP 22,000.00 pesos collection per month.

Further, the water system generated employment for the community members as officers and collectors as well as meter readers are receiving honorariums of at least 500 monthly.

The association also works closely with the Barangay Local Government Unit to improve their services. The BLGU even financed the fencing of a tank in the barangay. “Since the membership in the association is increasing, we are planning to build another distribution tank if we will accumulate enough budget,” Viste shared.

From 280 pesos monthly water bill, Marites says that after the water system in her barangay was established, she is now paying 100 pesos per month. “Our water bill decreased by 60% and we have sufficient water already so it’s really a big improvement,” she added.

From manually pumping water everyday, the people of Tagodtod now have water in their homes everytime they open their faucets. #DSWD-CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, Jasmin Kiaso

DSWD-CAR together with the representatives of the BBCCC in the beginning of their journey towards helping Cordillera communities

Cordillera Administrative Region- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office CAR and the Baguio-Benguet Community Credit Cooperative (BBCCC) signed an agreement to formally collaborate in providing basic services to selected areas in the region.

This has been the result of the convergent efforts of the Kapit-bisig Laban sa Kahirapan- Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya).

Representatives of the Board of Directors (BOD) and Officers of BBCCC and program heads of DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS and Pantawid Pamilyang, the signing of MOA on 21 November 2018 signified the start of a promising partnership to build community projects to answer the development needs of selected poor barangays.

“Through the results of the Pantawid Pamilya supplies side assessment, we were able to identify the gaps that needed interventions. This reached the BBCCC and they decided to assist us through their corporate social responsibility”, Pantawid Pamilya Regional Progam Coordinator Fatima Florendo shared.

Thus, both parties agreed to partner in conducting medical and dental missions, and providing medical supplies or equipment to health centers and reading materials to schools.

To seal the partnership, the BBCCC BOD considered to fund medical equipment needed at the Barangay Health Center of Kinama, Rizal, Kalinga. The equipment include medicine refrigerator, cooler for medicine, weighing scales, Fetal Doppler, BP apparatus and others which amounts to around PhP 309,000.00.

BBCCC Chair Oscar Adversalo remarked that the partnership is history in the making as it is the cooperative’s first partnership with a government entity. “We will start small, but we will surely move to a bigger project in the future,” he added.

DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS Program Manager Imelda Tuguinay expressed DSWD’s gratitude towards the cooperative for their interest and enthusiasm to provide services to the Department’s beneficiaries and clients. “The partnership is timely, specifically for Kalahi-CIDSS, as we have been working non-stop to look for funders of the priority projects identified by our target communities that didn’t make it to the cut of the program’s fund,” she added.

The partnership originally started through the information drive conducted by the BBCCC to the partner beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya. After engaging with some DSWD activities, the cooperative was able to recognize the possible collaboration between the organizations.  #DSWD-CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, Jasmin Kiaso and Nerizza Faye G. Villanueva

Please be informed that for 2018 and previous years, the annual budget for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is computed based on the assumption that 90% of the partner beneficiaries will be able to comply with the program conditions and are entitled to cash grants.

For 2017 and 2018, the compliance rate increased from 90% to 95% resulting to budget deficit corresponding to the 5% increase.  The provision of rice assistance may have influenced the increased compliance to conditions including attendance to the Family Development Sessions, attendance to school, and visit to health centers.

To cover the additional fund needed for cash grants, the DSWD requested budget augmentation/additional appropriation from the Department of Budget and Management.

Rest assured that the Department of Social Welfare and Development is continually pursuing all avenues to augment the appropriation for the Pantawid Program to ensure complete provision of cash grants.

Thank you and we are hoping for your kind understanding on the matter.