Communication is a powerful tool. If used rightly, it can be used to disseminate information, provide instructions, teach and form opinion. The proper use of communication can determine the success or failure of an agency. This is why the Department of Social Welfare and Development values and recognizes the important role communications play in its day to day activities.
Recently, the Department of Social Welfare and Development hosted this month’s meeting of the Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO), composed of government information officers from various government agencies. Backed up by the Philippine Information Agency (P.I.A.) as secretariat, the association regularly convenes to plan its future activities and provide updates from among the members.
DSWD Assistant Regional Director for Operations, Marcela Lim, warmly welcomed the government media practitioners, whom she said, are formidable agents of change. She appealed to them to help each other build the agency’s reputation by correcting misinformation affecting one’s entity.
As host, DSWD took the opportunity to discuss its programs and services, including a brief history of Kalahi-CIDSS (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services) – a program which aims to reduce poverty and good governance through the use of a Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach. During this part, Senior Board Member Virginia Zacate of Sulat, Eastern Samar gave her testimony on the Kalahi-CIDSS experience that spoke of the wonders of community empowerment.It is in Sulat was where the program was first implemented in Region VIII.
DSWD also gave a brief introduction to the Listahanan program or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), as the third round of assessment comes near.
The importance of Listahanan was emphasized in this forum, as it is an information management system which serves as basis for selecting beneficiaries of social protection programs. In 2010, Executive Order No. 867 entitled, “Providing for the Adoption of the National Targeting System for Poverty Reduction as the Mechanism for Identifying Poor Households Who Shall Be Recipients of Social Protection Programs Nationwide” was issued. This mandates government agencies to use the NHTS-PR data.
DSWD also discussed some of the available frontline services from the Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU), including Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) and Minor’s Travel Clearance, for minors travelling abroad alone or unaccompanied by their parent/parents.
Meanwhile, the AGIO had a resource speaker in the person of Lieutenant Colonel Mario Jose Chico (Ret.) of the Philippine Army who presented an in-depth lecture on the deceptive recruitment scheme of the leftists, especially in the student and youth sectors. He urged everyone to be extremely vigilant since their strategies sometimes come under the guise of youth organizations.
The meeting was capped by honoring AGIO Secretariat and former Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Officer-in-Charge Alicia Nicart on her retirement and for her contribution in furthering developmental communications here in Region VIII.
#DSWDServingThePeople
#DSWDMayTapangMagMalasakit
