Three information caravans and two media tours are scheduled in the region towards the end of this year, as the Department’s Convergence Strategy Program is now on full swing.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Juliano Soliman last week called on all Communication/Social Marketing Officers of the different regions for a three – day Communication Planning Workshop in Angeles City, Pampanga. In said occasion, the DSWD top official emphasized the need to converge the communication efforts of the Departments three core protection programs – the PANTAWID PAMILYANG PILIPINO PROGRAM, the KAPIT-BISIG LABAN SA KAHIRAPAN – COMPREHENSIVE AND INTEGRATED DELIVERY OF SOCIAL SERVICES : KAPANGYARIHAN AT KAUNLARAN SA BARANGAY, and the SELF-EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE – KAUNLARAN.

The Secretary called to intensify what is happening in the region, and to make the voices of beneficiaries rise and be heard. She particularly encouraged parents of beneficiaries of the PANTAWID PAMILYA to speak up for the sake of their children’s future.

The information caravans will be held in any of the ten convergence municipalities of Northern Samar, and two of the ten recipient – areas of Samar province. Priority areas for the Convergence Strategy Program implementation in the region are the Set 1 and Set 2 municipalities of the PANTAWID PAMILYA, Ofel Pagay, the program focal person bared.

She also revealed that for Samar, Tarangnan has been identified as the showcase area, while in Northern Samar, Mondragon.

Meanwhile, media tours are set on October, specifically in Pinabacdao, Western Samar, and on November, in Pambujan, Northern Samar. DSWD Field Office Eight Regional Director Leticia Diokno (formerly Leticia Corillo) said she hopes that the agency gets full media support in writing and airing stories about the successes of the program.   “There are many good things to tell, “Diokno added.

The Strategy on Convergence of DSWD Social Protection Programs is an area where the current implementation of the three core social protection programs will have to be improved. The objectives are to maximize the resources allocated for the implementation of the three programs, reduce duplication of efforts, strategies and activities at all levels, and harmonize and synchronize the processes involved in the implementation of the social protection programs.