This quarter’s DSWD Cares was held last August 30, 2017 in the Municipality of Libacao, Province of Aklan. Libacao, Aklan, being seated in a mountainous and rough terrains, is only one of the considered Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) in the whole province of Aklan and the entirety of Western Visayan region.
This is the reason why the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office VI (DSWD FO6) chose the municipality of Libacao to host this quarter’s DSWD CARES or the Community Advancement for Responsive and Empowered Society by Creating Awareness through Responsive and Excellent Services.
“DSWD Cares is organized for the management to be able to personally reach out with our clients and for them to directly share us their experiences and tell us their queries,” said Delia V. Bagolcol, DSWD FO6 Assistant Regional Director for Operations.
The series of events started in a Supplementary Feeding Activity at Poblacion Child Development Center (CDC) in Libacao, Aklan which was led by the Supplementary Feeding Program Regional Focal Person, Diana G. Alcantara, Dietician III.
SFP Focal Ms. Diana G. Alcantara hands out a pack of donated clothes to a little girl
Child Development Workers from different parts of Aklan also actively participated in the said event where donated clothing were also given to each of the children and their parents. The Supplementary Feeding activity was then followed by the main event of DSWD Cares which was held in the municipality’s gymnasium where DSWD programs beneficiaries were present as attendees.
The event simply started with presentation of Municipal Poverty Profile and Local Welfare Programs from the part of the municipality and the Presentation of DSWD Programs and Services from the part of the Management Committee. DSWD Cares also highlighted the Turn-Over Ceremony of carpentry and plumbing tools to women trainees of Kalahi-CIDSS-NCDDP as a Gender Incentive Grant. Meanwhile, the Social Pension Program seconded the event by releasing the quarterly stipend of the social pension beneficiaries.
ARDO Delia Bagolcol delivers DSWD programs to Libacao-nons
The program ended with an open forum where messages and queries of the community members were given light and clarified. The main objective of the event is to open a communication to the community members and to especially fill the gap between the local staff and the Management Committee. “We are heartened to recognize that the people in Libacao, Aklan welcomes us warmly and we too, want to use this opportunity to show how DSWD loves and cares by hearing you out and personally delivering to you our programs and services and our open heart,” Bagolcol finally stated./XzyrabelleServento/dswd6/
