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The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the DSWD Academy, conducted the 2025 Knowledge Management Fair for External Partners from September 23 to 25, 2025, in Cebu City, hosted by DSWD Field Office 7–Central Visayas.

From left: DSWD Academy Director, Atty. Justin Caesar D. Batocabe, delivers his remarks to the participants. An open forum during the fair.

Some 1,000 onsite and online participants joined the event, who learned from the best practices of partner organizations and local government units (LGUs) in implementing Social Welfare and Development (SWD) programs.

According to organizers from the DSWD Academy, the fair aimed to promote the sharing of effective practices among LGUs, Social Welfare and Development Agencies (SWDAs), and other national government agencies.

“We want to see good practices replicated by our partners while also helping them gain a better understanding of how these practices should be properly documented and recognized so that they may serve as models for replication,” said Atty. Justin Caesar D. Batocabe, of the DSWD Academy, during the opening program.

The DSWD Academy serves as the department’s training and knowledge management arm, mandated to implement capability-building initiatives and lead knowledge-sharing efforts across the agency and its partners.

During the fair, the following local government units, which received the 2024 DSWD PANATA Ko sa Bayan Gawad Serbisyong Mahusay Award, shared their good practices in implementing SWD programs and services for various sectors:

  • LGU Kapangan, Benguet (Pansigedan Di A-Anak in Kapangan, Benguet (for the Welfare of Children in Kapangan, Benguet))
  • LGU Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte (Youth CORE (Champion Organizations in Revolutionizing Entrepreneurship) Program)
  • LGU Talisay City, Cebu (Bugasan sa Kababayen-an)
  • LGU Midsayap, Cotabato (Building Bridges: Bangsamoro Peace Political and Administrative Affairs (BAPPAA) Role in Peace and Political Stability)
  • LGU Cadiz City, Negros Occidental (To “Adopt” a Cerebral Palsy)
  • LGU Biñan, Laguna (Biñan Legacy of Care: A Documentation on Optimal Local Pension Practices for Senior Citizens)
  • LGU Sipalay City, Negros Occidental (Electronic Assistance and Services for Sipalaynon Information System (eASSIST) and Barangay Information and Management System (BIMS))

Talisay City, Cebu, showcased its good practice on economic development and women’s empowerment through the “Bugasan sa Kababayen-an” (Women’s Rice Store), an initiative led primarily by victim-survivors of Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC).

According to presenter Lowella Vestil, the women members of the association have since become advocates in ending VAWC and now serve as resource persons for other communities seeking to replicate the project.

In addition, the following SWDAs also presented their respective good practices:

  • Open Heart Foundation Worldwide, Inc. (Making a Difference with Every Heartbeat: The Open Heart Way of Transforming Lives through Service, Stewardship, and Shared Success)
  • White Cross, Inc. (Nurturing Lives for 89 Years, A Legacy of Good Practices)
  • The Andres Soriano Foundation, Inc. (Kabui-Puri: Live Weaves from the Island)

The KM Fair is an annual knowledge management initiative of the Department, featuring Knowledge-Sharing Sessions (KSS) among its internal and external stakeholders to enhance social welfare and development processes and improve the delivery of social services.

DSWD 7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero emphasized the importance of adopting innovative approaches in service delivery, aligning with the KM Fair 2025 theme, “Strengthening Social Protection through Innovation.”

“As social and development workers, we must adapt to the changes and dynamics of our time. Digital tools are today’s instruments for delivering efficient and effective services. The transformation we are witnessing presents a challenge for us to improve service delivery so that our communities can truly feel its impact,” Director Lucero said.

She hopes that through the KM Fair, more partners will develop well-documented good practices in implementing SWD programs, which will benefit everyone in the region.

“We have a very strong partnership with LGUs and the network of SWDAs in Central Visayas, thanks to our Technical Advisory Assistance and Other Related Support Services (TAAORSS) program and the Standards Section of DSWD 7, which continuously provides technical assistance to them,” she explained.

The KM Fair provided participants with valuable insights into the government’s national plans for the following sectors: children and youth, women, older persons, persons with disabilities, and the department’s social technology initiatives. ###