The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 7 in Central Visayas joined the 2-day Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair in the island province of Siquijor from February 18-19, 2024.

To bring government services closer to the people, various government agencies provided services to the people of Siquijor. DSWD 7 distributed more than PHP 59.6 million to 29,831 beneficiaries through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.

The payout happened simultaneously in six municipalities in Siquijor, with Siquijor State College in Larena as the main venue of the Serbisyo Fair.

During the ceremonial payout in Larena, five beneficiaries of AICS and five from the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) received cash from DSWD Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations Paul E. Ledesma and Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero, together with House Speaker Congressman Martin Romualdez, Governor Jake Vincent S. Villa, Congressman Zaldy S. Villa, and other guest legislators who graced the event.

The agency also distributed nearly 10,000 family food packs to participants in the main venue, while 44 SLP beneficiaries in the municipality of Enrique Villanueva received a PHP 15,000 seed capital fund, or a total of PHP 660,000 worth of livelihood assistance.

Other SLP program beneficiaries also participated in the Kadiwa ng Pangulo by showcasing their products, like delicacies and home items, and directly selling them to the attendees of the Serbisyo Fair.

DSWD 7 set up an information booth and a public assistance and complaints desk. Information officers distributed IEC materials and shared social welfare and development information. Grievance officers accommodated queries about the programs and services of the Department.

Director Lucero, who led the 2-day caravan, said that the Serbisyo Fair was an opportune time to show once again the commitment and dedication of the Angels in Red Vest to deliver their mandate. ###

(47) Views