By May Rago-Castillo

ILOILO City-The DSWD6 recently called other National Government Agencies (NGAs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), academe and Micro-Finance Institutions (MFI) to converge interventions for the poor families in Western Visayas.

“Uplifting the lives of poor families and communities cannot be solely done by the department. We need a concerted effort from the different National Government Agencies, Micro-finance institutions, business sector and other organizations,” said DSWD Assistant Regional Director Joel P. Galicia who gave his message during the Regional Partnership Forum for Sustainable Livelihood held at Eon Centennial Hotel in Iloilo City.

The forum, participated in by nine NGAs, seven CSOs, four from Academe, and five MFIs, aimed to generate commitments for Sustainable Livelihood of nearly 300,000 poor households covered by Pantawid Pamilya and recognize good practices in existing partnerships.

Participants were identified as Technical Education Skills Authority (TESDA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and Department of Justice (DOJ); all NGAs; West Visayas State University (WVSU), University of Antique, Western Visayas College of Science and Technology and Aklan State University, all from Academe; Taytay sa Kauswagan, Barbaza Multi-Purpose Cooperative, NEDF, Bugasong MPC, Globe Banko and SM KSK Harbest, all MFIs;  Center for Community Transformation (CCT), Ahon sa Hirap Incorporated (ASHI), Antique Federation of NGOs (AFON), Uygongco Foundation, Altertrade, Negros Women for Tomorrow’s Foundation (NWFF), all CSOs.

“We want to build bridges of opportunities and establish linkages and networks. Ours is a tall and strong fortress to destroy, our problem is a disease transferred from one generation to another, what we need to defeat is the bondage that has led many children to suffer from one generation to another. Our problem is “intergenerational cycle of poverty” and we can only break it if we join hands. We call on you to be our partners and active collaborators for development,” stressed Galicia.

He added, “Yes, there’s a big wall called “poverty” to topple, but together, we can gradually send each child to school, keep him or her healthy, have her finish schooling…open opportunities for livelihood…get a leverage if compared with other children her age and get a job so he or she could get out of poverty.”

In 2009, the DSWD started implementing the Pantawid Pamilya with a time-frame of five years. This year, some 11,000 households will end the five-year stint, particularly those from Antique and Iloilo City.

Sustainable Livelihood

Prior graduation from Pantawid Pamilya, however, the DSWD implements Sustainable Livelihood Program to ensure continuity of gains.

This whole design falls under the Convergence Strategy of the agency, an approach to ensure achievement of maximum results more than each of the program can attain by itself, which banners three core programs—the Pantawid Pamilya, livelihood and KALAHI-CIDSS or Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS).

According to Galicia, operationalizing convergence can be described this way, “Beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya are also covered by KALAHI—a project that helps them become more empowered and helps them participate in local governance. Also, they are covered by Sustainable Livelihood which has two tracks—micro-enterprise development and employment generation such that before they graduate in Pantawid Pamilya, they either have small businesses of their own or have been accessed for employment.”

Where are we so far

Records of DSWD6 showed that of the 11,000 who will graduate from Pantawid this year, around 9,000 were either provided with seed capital, accessed to MFIs, or accessed to employment.

By next year,  those who were covered in 2010 will also end their five-year time span under the program.

Also present during the event were TESDA Regional Director Yolanda Porschwitz, DSWD regional project development officer Mary Ann Masculino, External relations officer Glenn Genovate, project development officers Clarence Darryl Alfuente of Iloilo, Geralyn Flores of Antique, Rovi Christine Gonzales of Aklan, Ely Abucay of Capiz, Fernando Alabado of Negros Occidental, Cynthia Castro of Guimaras, Frydilyn Saclote and Anthony Laruan of the the Livelihood Unit; and Marife Leon and Luis Daniel Dela Cruz of Central Office./dswd6