The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 8-Eastern Visayas awarded all 143 Local Government Units (LGUs) through their Local Social Welfare and Development Offices (LSWDOs) in the region during the 1st Older Persons (OPs) Program Stakeholders’ Congress 2024 last November 26, 2024 at the Leyte Convention Complex, Palo, Leyte.

In her opening message, DSWD FO 8 Regional Director Grace Q. Subong recognized all the incredible efforts that each of the partner LGUs exemplified alongside the implementation of the department’s older persons programs and services.

“Your tireless efforts, dedication, and passion have significantly improved the lives of every senior citizen-beneficiary. Your commitment to public service embodies the values of excellence, integrity, and compassion that we, as public servants, continuously strive to uphold.”

The OPs Program Stakeholders’ Congress 2024 aimed to give awards and recognition to the LGUs through their LSWDOs, which exemplified the Maagap at Mapagkalingang Serbisyo amidst all the challenges faced in the implementation of the Social Pension Program and Centenarian Program for the 1st semester of CY 2024.

The awards and recognition given are categorized into the following categories in reference with the signed Memorandum of Agreement between the LGUs and the DSWD FO VIII for the 1st semester implementation:

1. LGUs Compliant with the Submission of Liquidation Report for the 1st Semester of 2024 with 18 LGU-awardees;

2. LGUs Compliant on the Submission of Paid Registry Report for the 1st Semester of 2024 with 6 LGU-awardees;

3. LGUs with the highest number of paid beneficiaries per province for the 1st semester of 2024 with 6 LGU-awardees;

4. LGUs Compliant with the Frequency of Payout for the 1st Semester of 2024 with all 143 LGU-awardees;

5. Centenarian Program Award with 53 LGU-awardees; and

6. Finalists of the Older Persons Program Knowledge Management Summit 2024 with 10 LGU awardees.

Further, the Social Pension Program has greatly achieved milestones and successes that have impacted the well-being of all the 289,762 beneficiaries in the region who received a P1,000.00 stipend for the first 6 months of the year. Meanwhile, a total of 56 centenarians were also awarded with P100,000.00 cash gift as of November 26, 2024.

The congress marks the first awarding and recognition ceremony of the program, and this is expected to commence next year, 2025, awarding the same stakeholders for the 3rd and 4th quarter implementation and for the 1st semester implementation of the said year.

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