After a series of rigorous cluster and provincial desk validation during the simultaneous provincial level search of Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII has named the top three winners from each four provinces in region 7.

The Bohol provincial winner is the Oque family of Batuan town while the second and third placers are the Lingacion family of Balilihan and Muring family from Trinidad, respectively.

The provincial winner of Cebu is the Campugan family from the town of Cordova. The Villegas family from Medellin ranks second while the Garciano family from Poro ranks third.

The Negros Oriental provincial winners are the following: Suple family of Basay, first place; Bohol family of Mabinay, second place; and Mercullo family of Valencia, third place.

Siquijor’s provincial winners include the Bagundol family of Maria, first place; Caspiz of Siquijor, second place; and Lapinig family of Larena, third place.

DSWD-7 Regional Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre said that their stories are truly inspirational and worthy of emulation by other Pantawid Pamilya family-beneficiaries.

“They are an addition to our family ambassadors who can serve as a good role model in their own community,” Director Macapobre added.

The provincial winners will receive a cash prize and a certificate of recognition during the provincial awarding ceremony this June.

The judges during the provincial search were from partner national government agencies like DOH, DepEd and DILG, provincial government of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor and partner civil society organizations (CSOs).

The provincial first placers will compete in the regional level search next month. ###

“Ganahan ko makakat-on pagdugang kabahin sa pamaol kay mao man kini akong nahibaw-an ug mao kini among panginabuhian (I wanted to learn more about farming because this is what I know and where we get our income),” said Francisco Elardo as he tends his plants in their family backyard in Brgy. Taytay, Badian, Cebu.

Francisco (leftmost) makes sure that the whole family is engaged in their organic backyard garden from which they get a good supply of vegetables.

Francisco’s inclination to farming started after he attended a seminar on organic farming in 2010.

“Nakat-unan nako sa seminar nga dili kinahanglan mogamit og spray nga adunay mga kemikals (I learned from that seminar that it is not necessary to spray chemicals to plants)”, Francisco said matter-of-factly.

Francisco immediately applied what he learned from the seminar and fortunately he was right on his decision to pursue organic farming. Together with his wife Marilou and their two children, Reese and Christian, he planted a variety of vegetables like alugbati, talong, camote, batong, pechay, patola and malunggay. He also grew fruit bearing trees like guyabano, papaya, tambis, bayabas coconut, bayabas and avocado.

“Human sa usa ka tuig, nalipay ko nga naka-ani mi og daghang utanon ug kini nagamit sa akong pamilya ug ang among mga silingan ug uban sa laing barangay mopalit pud sa among mga ani (I was happy that after a year, we were able to harvest many vegetables, which benefited our family, neighbors and people from other barangays who also buy our fresh produce),” Francisco beamed with gladness.

Instead of chemicals, Francisco applied organic fertilizers on his one thousand square meters backyard garden through vermiculture.

Vermiculture is the use of earthworms to break down organic materials into rich fertilizers for use in organic gardening and farming.

Francisco also uses organic chemicals for spraying his plants and planted insect repellant plants like tanglad (lemongrass) to ward off insects, which are pests for his backyard garden.

Francisco tends to his alugbati.

In the 2013, he decided to make his backyard garden as a demonstration farm because many people now visit his backyard garden to know about organic farming. In fact, many high school and college students visit his demonstration farm to learn more and see an actual organic farm.

In 2014, the Municipal Links of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program coordinated with the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) for seeds to augment Francisco’s demonstration farm.

“Miski kapoy, malipay gihapon ko mag-demo sa mga estudyante kay ganahan man sad ko nga mapa-ambit sa lain akong nahibaw-an kabahin sa organic farming (Even though I am tired, I am happy to demonstrate to students the vermiculture technology because I love to share what I have learned about organic farming),” he said.

If there are visitors, Francisco would discuss the natural farming system like indigenous microorganism, fermented plant juice and fermented fruit juice.

There are also two small fish ponds in their backyard garden.

“Sa panahon nga wala pay ani, kining mga tilapia maoy among sud-anon ug dili man pud mi magkalisud palit og bugas kay naa naman rice subsidy nga gihatag sa amo (During lean season, these tilapias serve as our viand and we do not worry about rice since we already have the rice subsidy),” he added.

Last year, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) tapped Francisco as one of the resource speakers for organic vegetables farming seminar.

Currently, he is the Farmer Scientist Training Program Barangay Coordinator and at the same time a farmer’s trainor under the Office of Provincial Agriculturist of Cebu Province.

As an advocate of organic farming, he encourages other Pantawid Pamilya partner-beneficiaries to follow the natural farming system.

Francisco shows his home-made organic fertilizers.

“Magkugi, mag-antos ug labaw sa tanan dili gyud hikalimtan ang atong Diyos kay tungod siya ang naghatag natu sa tanang mga grasya (Persevere, sacrifice and most importantly do not forget God because is the one who provides us all the blessings),” Francisco’s reply when asked of his principle in life. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII formally opens the 2018 Search for Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya.

“We are now looking for new family ambassadors and an addition to our pool of family ambassadors of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program who are worthy of recognition and emulation from other family-beneficiaries,” said Regional Director Ma. Evelyn B. Macapobre.

The search is open to all family-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). The family must consist of a father and/or a mother (solo parent) and child/children.

Nominees must be beneficiaries of the program for at least two years, have good standing in the community with no derogatory records, whose income do not come from gambling, prostitution, child labor, extortion and other similar illegal resources and most importantly 100% compliant to all the conditionalities of the program.

Desk validation criteria include strong family ties and harmonious relationship while upholding Filipino values despite the challenges of poverty (25%), family practices and promotes healthy living and environment care (20%), family involvement in community activities (20%), family as inspiration to others in the community (20%) and strives to improve living conditions amidst difficult situation (15%).

The winners of the provincial search for Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor will be known on May 30, 2018.

For this year, we introduce a special award called the AlaGAD (an acronym for Affirmative and Laudable Advocacies on Gender and Development).

This award is given to a family from among the regional finalists of Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya whose members are living out and championing better gender relations in the homes. They are epitome of family roles that are beyond stereotypical and best exemplify shared responsibilities as well as positive and non-discriminatory Filipino family values.

All provincial and regional winners will get cash prizes and certificates of recognition.

The winner of the regional search will then represent DSWD-7 to the national search and the top five national finalists will be awarded during the Pantawid Pamilya National Family Day on the last week of September.

To recall, in 2013 the Sederiosa family from Sagbayan, Bohol won fourth runner-up, in 2014 the Ewican family from Carmen, Bohol placed second runner-up, in 2015 the Torrentira family from Sagbayan, Bohol placed second runner-up, in 2016 the Garay Family from Jagna, Bohol finally won the title as the grand winner of Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya and in 2017 the Catubig family from Maria, Siquijor placed fourth runner-up. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII urges Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) partner-beneficiaries to update the education information of their children.

This is relative to the memo cascaded to the Pantawid Pamilya City and Municipal Links (C/MLs) that they will conduct early updating of the education information for the incoming kinder, grade 7 and grade 11 children-beneficiaries.

This early updating activity has been conducted during their monthly Family Development Session (FDS) since April 2018 until June 2018.

The early updating aims to ensure that the new school and grade level of the children-beneficiaries are captured and readily available for the compliance monitoring and to determine who among the children-beneficiaries are going to enroll in the incoming school year, gather the reason behind of not enrolling and convince them to pursue their education.

It also aims to reduce the number of children not receiving rightful cash grants because their education information is not updated.

Moreover, the school or enrollment certificate is not required during the early updating as long as the update form is certified by the 4Ps partner-beneficiary.

Aside from the 4Ps, partner-beneficiaries under the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) are also advised to provide update or visit the office of their C/MLs to assist them in the conduct of the activity.

The 4P’s or Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) is a program of the national government that invests in the health and education of poor households primarily of children aged 18 and below. It is implemented by the DSWD together with other government agencies to include the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Health (DoH).

It provides cash grants to compliant household beneficiaries with health grant worth Php 500.00 and educational grants worth Php 300.00 and Php 500.00 each to the children studying in elementary and high school, respectively. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII reminds its partner-beneficiaries to be vigilant and active this coming barangay election.

“Our program partner-beneficiaries are free to decide, choose and express their beliefs and rights on issues concerning their lives and their communities,” said DSWD Regional Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre.

Director Macapobre further said that Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries are empowered individuals and are aware of their rights as citizens of this country and they are free to choose someone whom they believe epitomizes their principles.

Pantawid Pamilya continues to implement its election-related campaign which aims to promote and strengthen active citizenry. Beneficiaries’ empowerment are further fortified through the monthly Family Development Session (FDS) with the good governance and active citizenship module and information campaign on election related matters that will affect them in the coming election.

“We would also like to clarify that DSWD programs and services are not directly or indirectly coursed through barangay officials or their offices,” Macapobre added.

Director Macapobre appeals to everyone to refrain from spreading false information that they can, for instance, remove or have community residents removed or de-listed from the 4Ps or any other DSWD programs if these residents do not vote for them,” Macapobre said.

Moreover, DSWD personnel are not allowed to support and campaign for their own candidates.

“Let’s all pray and work for a clean, orderly, peaceful and honest election,” Macapobre concluded. ###

Johanna Heart Genon shared her life story and inspired other K to 12 senior high school graduates during the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Araw ng Pagkilala 2018 held at the SM North EDSA Skydome in Quezon City last May 7, 2018.

Johanna Heart Genon gives her speech during the Araw ng Pagkilala 2018 at the SM North EDSA Skydome.

She introduced herself to the 1,000 participants of the event which include senior high school graduates and Expanded Students Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) graduates from various regions of the country but mostly from the National Capital Region (NCR).

“My family and I used to live inside the Chinese Cemetery in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City. It became my playground together with my siblings and other children living there,” Johanna Heart said as she began in her speech.

“Noon po, nahihiya po akong sabihin sa mga kaklase ko kung saan kami nakatira dati pero hindi ko po ikinahiya kailanman ang pamilya at ang mga magulang ko (In the past, I would be embarrassed whenever my classmates asked me where I lived but never did I get ashamed of my family and my parents),” Johanna said as she recalled the discrimination she went through.

“However, that experience has encouraged me to study and strive hard to reach my dreams in life. As early as 14 years old, I already dream of becoming an Engineer so that I will be able to build our own house,” Johanna added.

In 2014, her family became one of the partner-beneficiaries of the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) of the DSWD and started receiving the cash grants, which has helped sustain Joanna Heart and her two siblings’ education.

“From a bullied homeless lass to a fine and decent young lady, I’m standing here to fight for my future and I feel secured and blessed with this opportunity,” Johanna Heart said.

“After reading and learning my story, the University of Cebu (UC) provided me a full scholarship and now I’m currently enrolled as an incoming freshmen taking up Civil Engineering course,” Johanna Heart underscored as she strongly believes that education is the key to uplift from poverty and towards success.

DSWD Usec. Virginia Orogo (center) and Johanna Heart Genon (left) turn over the list of Pantawid Pamilya senior high school graduates to CHED Commissioner Ronald Adamat (right).

Johanna Heart vowed that after finishing her course, she will also help other homeless families.

DSWD Officials and representatives from partner national government agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) also joined the celebration.

“There is no doubt that education is a powerful tool to fight poverty. While there is much more to be done to curb poverty, we are taking concrete steps to fight it. We hope that these children will continue pursuing their dreams and with their academic achievements they can build the foundations for a better future,” said DSWD Officer-in-Charge Emmanuel A. Leyco said in his keynote speech.

“We all have a role and responsibility in addressing poverty. We are thankful that we have different government agencies and members of the private sector working hand in hand with us so that we do not only provide assistance, but also give these children access to other services and opportunities to sustain their efforts to improve their lives,” concluded OIC Leyco.

Aside from Johanna Heart, ESGP-PA grantee Josephine Sibelo also attended the event. Josephine is from Dumanjug, Cebu who graduated Bachelor of Elementary Education major in Pre-Elementary and Technical Livelihood Education in the Cebu Technological University (CTU) Main Campus.

Johann Heart was interviewed by reigning Miss Universe Philippine Catriona Gray together with other selected graduates from other regions. Gray will write their stories and it will be published in a national newspaper.

Miss Universe Philippines 2018 Catriona Gray interviews Johanna Heart Genon.

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is a program of the national government implemented through the DSWD together with the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Health (DoH,) and other national government agencies. The program invests in the health and education of poor households primarily of children aged 18 and below. ###

About 2,991 Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Progral (4Ps) partner-beneficiaries in Cebu City received their EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa) chip-enabled cards from Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) last May 5, 2018.

DSWD-7 staff check the documents submitted by the Pantawid Pamilya partner-beneficiaries before receiving their EMV chip-enabled cards from Landbank.

Cebu City is the pilot city in region 7 for the 4Ps EMV migration and only seven barangays were included in this pilot testing. These barangays were Brgy. Carreta, Duljo-Fatima, Ermita, Inayawan, Kalunasan, Labangon and Mambaling.

EMV is the global standard for credit, debit, and prepaid card payments using the chip card technology. Cards with EMV chips were deemed more secure than the traditional magnetic stripe payment cards.

This shift from magnetic stripe technology to EMV chip-compliant cards is in compliance to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) circular no. 808.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII staff helps in facilitating the 4Ps partner-beneficiaries in receiving their EMV cards.

The  cash grants of 4Ps are disbursed to partner-beneficiaries primarily through LBP. 4Ps partner-beneficiaries can claim their cash grants through a cash card or through offsite payments. ###

Looking at her reflection on the mirror, neatly wearing (for the last time, before donning the toga) her well pressed school uniform with a good pair of black shoes on, Josephine can’t help but also see on the mirror an untidy eight-year-old kid on her crumpled-and-supposed-to-be-white blouse, faded skirt and an over-worn pair of slippers, carrying a dream of becoming a teacher.

Josephine spends most of her free time in school studying or reviewing lessons previously discussed in her classes.

Josephine Sibelo, 24 years old, the third child in the family and a native of Brgy. Bitoon, Dumanjug, Cebu could still recall how she was being laughed at 16 years ago for going to school untidy and not being able to wear a decent school uniform throughout her days in primary school.

“Nag-Grade 1 hangtud Grade 6 ko usa ra gyud ka paresan akong uniform unya akong notebook usa ra pud kabuok kada tuig (I only had one set of school uniform from Grade 1 to Grade 6 and had used only one notebook every school year),” Josephine recalled.

Coming from a big family, simply taking shelter under a nipa house, with parents earning just enough to feed 8 mouths at home, Josephine had seen the dire need of her family an augmentation on their daily income for survival.

Thus, as early as eight years old, she started helping her mother peddling fish, live chickens, piglets, goat and other animals consigned to them by their neighbor. They would also participate in the auctions in Mantalungon Livestock Market in Barili every Thursday and in Dumanjug Livestock Market during Sundays while her father also worked as a laborer in a farm entrusted to them.

After finishing primary school, her struggles in wanting to pursue a good education continued as she stepped in her first year in high school. Not missing a single day in class, joining some campus activities and accomplishing school projects had been a constant burden to Josephine as her parents were still unable to financially support them in their studies.

She had tried her luck in Cebu City and worked as a house helper while pursuing her remaining 3 years in high school where she finally graduated and received a scholarship for college.

She was one of the recipients of the Cebu City Scholarship that provides Php 10,000 worth of scholarship cheque per semester to each student who will be entering college to sustain their pursuit of good education. Going back to her hometown with the scholarship she had, eager to pursue a degree, Josephine excitedly enrolled herself in the Cebu Technological University (CTU) Dumanjug Campus.

But finishing first year in college was an uphill struggle to Josephine. The educational subsidy unfortunately wasn’t sustainable. Her daily expenses in school, projects, books and the miscellaneous payments remain a steady ball and chain.

Trying to weigh things, thinking of her other younger siblings and the need of her parents of someone to help them in providing food on the table, Josephine felt the urge to go back to the city. She went back to Cebu City and for the second time has worked as an all-around house helper doing household chores, errands and even looking after more than 20 cats/dogs of her boss and taking the stewardship of the different plants for sale of her employer.

She has never been satisfied in the kind of job she had earned only Php 2,500 per month, which was totally inadequate for her daily essentials and for her family left in Dumanjug. Hence, two months after she decided to leave her employer.

Soon after, she got hired as a sales clerk in a lumber and hardware store in Talisay City. There was a free accommodation while she earned Php 3,600 a month and was still able to send some for her family and support financially her younger siblings in school. It was a relief for Josephine getting that job which aide her constantly supporting her parents and other siblings.

It was also during that time, year 2010, that they became one of the beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, otherwise known as the 4Ps.

With the Php 500 monthly health grant, Php 600 monthly rice subsidy and a monthly education grant for her 3 siblings worth Php 1,100, Josephine couldn’t be any grateful how these aid have added convenience in their daily subsistence.

Knowing that her other younger siblings are already getting constant support for their studies from the Pantawid Pamilya and not experiencing the same hitches she’d undergone before, Josephine saw a glimmer of hope. A hope that her dream of pursuing a degree will soon be fulfilled. Maybe not by her, but by her other siblings.

“Para man gud nako, ang edukasyon ang usa sa mga labing importante nga hinagiban kung mo sulong ka og gubat – gubat dili sa katilingban, apan gubat sa pagpakigbatok sa atong ka-kabus (Because for me, education is one of the most important weapons in a war – against poverty),” expressed Josephine.

Three years after working in a hardware store, Josephine’s boss has introduced and entrusted to her a new business. She vended a solar powered equipment which unfortunately didn’t click. Until one time, two strangers looked for her. She expected them to be her potential buyer of her product, but it turned out that they were looking for a house helper. She was promised that if she wants to finish her studies, they can negotiate with it.

Excited that it might be the opportunity she has been waiting for, tomorrow after, she accepted the offer. She started during the month of August and everything went well. She was well paid and well treated. Until such when she enrolled during the second semester of the school year at Saint Paul College Foundation in Talisay City, Cebu that she started another uphill struggle because all her salary is allotted for her tuition fee.

Every day she had to scrimp and save for her other expenses in school. The Php 50 daily allowance was basically not enough, and so she maneuvered her way to surviving every day in school despite the limited resources she had. With the permission of her boss, she would sell chili peppers from their backyard to restaurants or markets near her school or sometimes would trade them with food for her lunch.

“Sometimes, if the restaurant would refuse to buy, I would go to a market and trade the chili pepper with food for my lunch,” Josephine amusingly recalled.

All those she had willingly done to make her way in chasing her desire to get a degree, as she wanted to improve the dire status of her family.

In 2014, her journey as an Expanded Students Grant-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) grantee commenced as she enrolled herself in Cebu Technological University (CTU) Main Campus in Cebu City and took up Bachelor of Education Major in Pre-Elementary and Technical Livelihood Education.

Her journey as a college student with the ESGP-PA assistance was a whole lot different. Her tuition and miscellaneous fees for four years were shouldered by the program and she was also provided with Php 3,500 monthly stipend. Apart from that, a lot of opportunities have been opened for her that molded her to be well-rounded individual worthy of emulation.

The chance of traveling to different places was unlocked, leadership trainings and seminars that directed to her personality growth were also opened and her passion of doing community outreach programs has been constantly utilized.

As the president of the pioneering ESGP-PA organization she established in the campus, she initiated different outreach activities realized by all of the ESGP-PA grantees in their university.

Among the community outreach activities, she initiated were the Feeding Program of 200 kids from Brgy. Carreta, Cebu City, a gift-giving activity to street dwellers entitled ‘ESGP-PA is coming to town!’ and the charitable giving of school supplies to students every year.

Josephine wanted to drill to her co-scholars a spirit of generosity and let other indigent people experience the delightful feeling of being blessed, the feeling they are presently enjoying.

“I was thinking how I could repay the government for the help they have given to me. Since the money given to us is from the tax of the people, I have to give back to other people. That’s why I strive to push through with our outreach activities,” she added.

Josephine believes a good education should not only be manifested intellectually but it should also be manifested in the kind of attitude that you have for the rest of the people around you.

With the support from the government scholarship through the ESGP-PA she was able to straighten her path towards achieving a good education which she believes a saving rope that would help them get out of poverty.

Now, looking at her name on the list of the official candidates for graduation, after the long years of perseverance and the roller coaster ride she’d been through, she couldn’t help but get emotional. Tears welled up in her eyes as she called her parents informing them that their soon to be teacher will be marching heads high very soon.

For Josephine, she believes that a way always seems to open up for a person who is will-powered with full valor to combat against adversities in the journey towards achieving a degree.

“Kahibaw ko nga libre rang mangandoy. Kinahanglan lang gyud nako nga maningkamot para sa among kalampusan ug sa maayong kaugmaon dili lang para nako, but para sad sa akong pamilya ug sa nasod (I know that to dream is free. I just need to work hard for our success, not just for my future but for the future of my family and the nation),” added Josephine.

On April 9, 2018, after hopping in to different educational institutions and making unwanted pauses in pursuing her studies, Josephine has finally marched jubilantly waving her diploma with full pride wearing the glimmering smile of victory.

Josephine flaunts her glimmering smile of victory after receiving her diploma as she poses for a souvenir photo with her proud parents, Mr. Ricardo and Mrs. Marcelina Sibelo.

With her sheer tenacity, she finished her studies and bagged the Outstanding Officer award, recognizing her excellent leadership skill.

As she finished her degree in Bachelor in Elementary Education major in Pre-Elementary and Technical Livelihood Education she desires not just to inculcate academic knowledge to her students but to also inspire them how to survive in a bumpy road towards realizing a dream by sharing her life story.

She hopes that her desire to reach out and serve the public will continually be realized when she step in the door of the teaching profession. ###