As part of the campaign to better understand the Key Programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the office recently organized an Orientation to the Student Beneficiaries of the Students’ Grants-in Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (SGP-PA) of the Pantawid Pamilya in Leyte Normal University.

The said activity facilitated the discussion of the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), the information management system that identifies who and where the poor are in the country. It paved the way to a thorough discussion on how the targeting system works in identifying beneficiaries of DSWD’s social protection programs, such as the Pantawid Pamilya.

It was also a great opportunity for the National Household Targeting Unit-Eight (NHTU) to explain how the targeting system ensures transparency and credibility of these social protection programs.

Furthermore, the activity’s main objective was to gain deeper understanding on the Convergence Strategy of the Department which is comprised of three DSWD core Social Protection Programs: Pantawid Pamilya, Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) and Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), also collaboratively known as Tatsulo (Three Torches).

Focal and resource person from these social protection programs were gathered to discuss how the Convergence Strategy works in reducing poverty in Eastern Visayas.

The discussion highlighted the importance of knowing how the Convergence offers opportunities for livelihood and skills-training to the poor, encourages everyone to partake in the development of their community and how it touched and changed many lives.

The said activity was also intended to encourage these student beneficiaries to continue doing well with their studies.