Tacloban City– Back-to back basic orientation for the newly hired staffs of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) were held last Saturday, May 21, 2011.

The 227 participants were divided into four groups depending on the positions. For Social Welfare Assistants (SWA) and Project Development Officers the orientations were held in La Rica Hotel; Municipal Roving Bookkeepers, Senior Bookkeepers, Administrative Assistants, Administrative Officer and Human Resource Officer at the Department of Agrarian Reform Training Center; and another group for SWA at SMED Capitol Center, Tacloban City.

The newly hired workers will be assigned in the different provinces where the program has expanded its implementation in the region namely; Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran and Leyte.

During the orientation, DSWDs mandate and reform agenda were also presented by Pantawid Pamilya Provincial Links for the participants to comprehensively understand and be aware of other existing programs the DSWD has. While the Deputy Program Manager, Virginia Idano presented the DSWD and Pantawid Pamilya Organizational Structure of the region.

Regional Director of DSWD Field Office Eight, Leticia Corillo, said that the Pantawid Pamilya’s expansion does not simply respond to the need for poverty alleviation, targeting the poorest of the poor, but likewise providing jobs to the unemployed.