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by: Social Marketing Service
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Friday, 18 May 2012 13:50 |
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 “I believe that you will be the ones who will be able to make community-driven development work.” These were the words of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Juliano- Soliman during the National Community-Driven Development Program (NCDDP) Conference held on May 13 to 15 at the Crowne Plaza in Ortigas Center. One hundred forty-four mayors attended the event.
The conference was organized to get feedback from Mayors implementing Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) on key design elements of the proposed NCDDP.
Secretary Soliman’s sentiments were echoed by Department of Interior and Local Government Undersecretary for Local Government Austere Panadero. “You’re Kalahi-CIDSS mayors. You’re the first ones who can encourage [people] that the system works.”
Secretary Soliman and Undersecretary Panadero served as panelists who provided their reactions to the inputs of the mayors. Other members of the panel included National Anti-Poverty Commission Undersecretary Jude Esguerra, Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Operations Joel Rudinas, Department of Health Director Dr. Juan Antonio Perez, and Director Patrick Lim from the Department of Budget and Management. Members of the national government agencies (NGAs) served as panelists during the Conference to explain the major directions that the Aquino government wishes to pursue to reduce poverty and promote good governance thru more meaningful citizens involvement in decision making processes.
The LGUs are expected to play an important role in changing the way that government interacts with citizens. As pointed out by Secretary Soliman, “We need to come up with a consensus of NGAs, civil society organizations (CSOs), and LGUs so that the exercise of democracy is real.”
The panelists fully support the clamor of the mayors to push for the use of community driven development (CDD) as a strategy for poverty reduction. CDD gives control of decisions and resources to communities. They also acknowledged that CDD requires investments in time and resources. “CDD is a long-term process,” Director Lim pointed out. Secretary Soliman brought up the need for the local and national governments to work with the citizens in order to ensure the success of a national CDD program.
DSWD started CDD implementation in 2003 through the Kalahi-CIDSS, which is one of the department’s three core anti-poverty programs.
Studies have shown that the CDD approach is successful not only in alleviating poverty in the country’s poorest municipalities but also in promoting community empowerment and good governance. This has led the national government to prioritize the institutionalization of CDD as a national program.
The proposed national program will reach out to more than 800 poor rural municipalities in the country through capacity building support and grants to communities to undertake small scale but responsive projects that will help them address poverty issues. The NCDDP is proposing to consolidate current government efforts on poverty reduction with CDD features under an umbrella program and strengthen inter-agency collaboration in helping poor communities move out of poverty. ###
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by: Social Marketing Service
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Wednesday, 16 May 2012 15:47 |
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The National Committee on the Filipino Family (NCFF), led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), will conduct a forum in celebration of the International Day of Families on May 19, with the theme, “Ensuring Work-Family Balance”.
Some 250 family advocates representing the different member-sectors of the NCFF will participate in the forum which will be held from 8:30 am to 12:00 noon at the Cultural Hall of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Provident Village, Marikina City.
The International Day of Families is observed annually on the 15th of May as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in a 1993 resolution. This year’s theme emphasizes that “work-family balance lies at the core of the ability of the family to provide economically and emotionally for its members.” The UN calls on States to “share knowledge about good practices in work-family balance being implemented and advocated for by Governments, private sector, civil society and academic institutions.”
The topics to be discussed are: strategies to help families cope with work and family responsibilities, the impact of work pressures on family life, and trends impacting work-family balance from the viewpoint of family advocates. Regional activities such as consultation dialogues, forums, family development sessions, orientations, and the like are also being conducted in partnership with stakeholders.
The Philippine Constitution recognizes the family as the foundation of the nation. And as a nation known for giving importance to strong family ties, the National Committee on the Filipino Family is enjoining all sectors nationwide to conduct activities to commemorate this international event aimed at strengthening families worldwide.
NCFF is composed of representatives from government agencies such as the DILG, DepEd, DOH, NEDA, NYC, CWC, CHED and PIA; faith-based organizations like the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints; and non-government organizations such as the Kaisahang Buhay Foundation, NorFil, and Pro-Life Philippines, among others. United in advocating the Filipino value of strong family ties, the NCFF supports measures promoting, protecting and enhancing the quality of family life. ### |
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by: Social Marketing Service
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Monday, 14 May 2012 09:24 |
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A Social Weather Station (SWS) survey conducted in March 2012 reported that 28.3% of its respondents – equivalent to an estimated 4.8 million families – experienced hunger in the past few months.
In a related poll, a 10-point increase in self-rated poverty was observed, reaching 61% in the Visayas and 72% in Mindanao.
The figures reflect an unfortunate array of shocks that have recently beset the country. Typhoon Sendong ravaged Mindanao late last year. In February, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter scale devastated Negros Oriental.
Recent oil price hikes have also resulted in fare price increases, while food price hikes for basic commodities (like fish, dairy products, non-alcoholic beverages and selected fruits) have contributed to an increase in inflation rates. These factors have significantly affected the purchasing power of ordinary Filipinos.
Power shortages in Mindanao have further magnified the vulnerabilities experienced throughout the region.
In response, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has intensified its services to alleviate hunger and poverty. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program, for instance, augments basic necessities and ensures the education and health of poor families. Cash-for-work and supplemental feeding programs are extended to those identified as being poor and hungry.
The provision of core shelter units and livelihood assistance to earthquake and typhoon survivors is also being fast-tracked. To date, 700 beneficiary families have been provided with shelter and livelihoods, and are now beginning new lives in permanent relocation sites. An additional 7,000 houses are also being built to provide the housing needed by the victims of typhoon Sendong. To assist the victims further, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) offers scholarships and training for victim-beneficiaries, while the Self Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K) of DSWD provides them with greater livelihood opportunities.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), already tasked with job-creation, is now providing assistance for economically displaced persons.
At the same time, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has been focusing on farm-to-market roads to ensure the mobility of food to and from the poorest regions in the country.
To prepare for future environment shocks, Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) has been launched by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as an innovation to prepare the country for natural calamities and lessen the damages they might bring.
Underemployment -- a significant factor in driving hunger spikes – is caused by a variety of reasons: the loss of productive assets due to natural disasters, a shortage of water for irrigation or the enforcement of logging bans. Undersecretary Jude Esguerra of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) adds: “We believe that people on the ground can often have more nuanced diagnoses of their problems, which is why the Human Development Cluster has embarked upon the bottom-up planning and budgeting of 600 focus municipalities. This diversifies our poverty reduction approaches.” These poorest municipalities have been asked for solutions to their specific problems -- many of which revolve around underemployment and hunger -- and will be supported by the entire Cluster in their respective anti-poverty plans.
Despite fluctuations in people’s perceptions, the government’s commitment to growth and stability remains steadfast. Economic and environmental shocks notwithstanding, the long-term impact of these anti-poverty strategies will be felt, in time, as ordinary Filipinos finally begin to experience less poverty and hunger.
For any questions or comments, please contact:
Assistant Secretary Lila Ramos Shahani
Head of Communications
Human Development and Poverty Reduction
Cabinet Cluster
E:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tel: 931 8101 to 07, loc. 212
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