Sa ginanap na KALAHI-CIDSS Provincial Community-Driven Development (CDD) Congress and Bayani Ka! Awards para sa mga probinsya ng Eastern Samar, Samar, Northern Samar, Leyte, Biliran, at Southern Leyte, binigyang pagkilala ng programa ang mga natatanging kontribusyon ng mga KALAHI-CIDSS community volunteers na ginanap sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng rehiyon. Mahigit 200 na mga community volunteers sa rehiyon ang nagtipon-tipon upang maipakita at maibahagi ang kanilang mga karanasan at good practices sa implementasyon ng programa sa kanilang mga komunidad. Nagsilbing tulay rin ito upang mabigyang-diin ang kahalagahan ng kanilang serbisyo para sa komunidad. Mula sa kanilang mga kwento ng pagbabago, pinatunayan nila na maaaring makibahagi ang mga mamamayan sa mga usaping pangkaunlaran sa kanilang lugar. Sa loob ng mahigit dalawampung taong implementasyon ng KALAHI-CIDSS sa Rehiyon Otso, patuloy nitong kinikilala ang mga inisyatibo at suporta ng mga community volunteers na sumasalamin sa mga prinsipyong isinusulong nito: Participation, Transparency, at Accountability. #MagKalahiTayoPilipinas#BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the National Program Management Office of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, recognized its exemplary partner stakeholders across the regions, during the Partnership Summit on 2–3 December 2024 at the Sequoia Hotel, Quezon City. At the summit, the following exemplary partners of DSWD Field Office 8 gained awards: The Local Government Unit of Palapag which was received by Hon. Florencio “Fawa” Batula, the Local Chief Executive; Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer of Northern Samar Jenny Darish; and Save the Children Eastern Visayas, which Zenona Gread, Project Coordinator, represented. Further, Hon. Fawa Batula delivered a message of support in behalf of all the local government unit-awardees. On the other hand, Field Office 8 obtained the following awards in the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the region: • Achieving 100% performance rating for the 1st semester of 2024 in referring 4Ps households for livelihood and employment support to various National Government Agencies and other stakeholders; • Achieving a 100% target rate of staff eligibility for Civil Service Examination passers; • For achieving 100% resolution rate for all pending 2022-2023 grievance with no findings on the resolution process; • For achieving the 2024 GAA target of improved well-being, resulting in the 100% accomplishment of its regional targets; and • For achieving 100% performance rating with all 2024 grievance cases resolved within the prescribed timelines. Regional Director Grace Subong attended the activity and led the field office in receiving the awards. The Department of Social Welfare and Development strengthened its partnership with its partner stakeholders to ensure that the well-being of Pantawid beneficiaries is improved and sustained. #BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD

More than 4,200 beneficiaries in Eastern Visayas received food credits worth P3,000, through the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), providing them with access to essential food supplies. A total of 4,226 beneficiaries from various municipalities participated in the one-week redemption schedule, which was carried out in partnership with local government units, validators, CECs, and MSWDO. The food credits are redeemable at DSWD-accredited retailers, allowing beneficiaries to access nutritious food items in their communities. DSWD determined the list of beneficiaries through a thorough evaluation and validation process conducted by field validators during the registration and assessment phases. Only eligible individuals, based on the criteria set by Listahan 3 of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and crossmatching from the MSWDO and RPMO, were included in the redemption list. The Walang Gutom Program is part of the government’s continued efforts to provide immediate relief and support to those facing challenges in meeting their daily food needs. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is confident that the Walang Gutom Program will address food insecurity, especially in economically vulnerable regions, as the program continues to facilitate targeted support to low-income families and individuals. #WalangGutomProgram#SaBagongPilipinasWalangGutom#BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD

TINGNAN: Inilunsad ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) ang Ready-to-Eat Food (RTEF) packs sa ginanap na Project LAWA at BINHI Convention noong Disyembre 2 sa SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex. Layunin ng pinakabagong inisyatibo na ito na matiyak ang food security ng mga pamilyang apektado ng kalamidad, partikular na sa unang 24 hanggang 48 oras mula sa sakuna. Ang RTEF packs ay naglalaman ng masustansiyang pre-cooked meals na binuo sa tulong ng Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) ng Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Sisimulan sa susunod na taon ang prepositioning ng RTEF sa iba’t ibang estratehikong lugar sa bansa para mas mabilis maipamahagi sa tuwing may kalamidad. Samantala, itinampok din sa nasabing convention ang matagumpay na implementasyon ng Project LAWA at BINHI sa iba’t ibang rehiyon kabilang ang Eastern Visayas. Dinaluhan ito ng DSWD Field Office VIII Regional Director Grace Q. Subong kasama ang Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD) OIC Chief Nena Getalado at Risk Resiliency Program for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (RRP-CCAM) technical staff. Naging daan ang pagtitipon para sa pagbabahagi ng kaalaman at pagpapalakas ng kakayahan ng mga implementers sa lokal at pambansang antas sa larangan ng risk resiliency. #BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD#projectlawaatbinhi

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Eastern Visayas has partnered with two state universities here for the implementation of Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program (TBTP) next year. As the program expands coverage to the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc, DSWD tapped Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) and Leyte Normal University (LNU) to meet the required human resource for the 20-day learning sessions. Under the program, qualified college students from low-income families will be deployed as tutors and Youth Development Workers (YDWs) to conduct reading tutorials to struggling or non-reader pupils and carry out Nanay-Tatay sessions to the parents of learners, respectively. In return for their service rendered, they will receive a daily pay equivalent to the prevailing minimum wage in the region for 20 days. Meanwhile, parents who attended the Nanay-Tatay sessions with topics including effective parenting, dynamics of Filipino families, challenges in parenting, and children’s rights, among others will receive a daily allowance of Php235. On Monday, December 9, 2024, EVSU and the city social welfare office of this city joined the strategic planning to set its targets and directions as the department aims to serve 8,000 learners, 8,000 parents, and 2,400 tutors and YDWs in the region next year. This year, the program deployed 375 tutors and YDWs from Samar State University and Northwest Samar State University, serving a total of 1,981 learners and 1,977 parents across two cities and 19 municipalities for its pilot implementation in Samar. #TaraBasaPH#BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD

Sabay-sabay na nagdiwang ng Pasko ang lahat ng mga CRCFs ng DSWD sa buong bansa, kasama ang DSWD FO8 CRCFs, sa isinagawang Balik Sigla, Bigay Saya Gift-giving Activity. Sa nasabing simultaneous activity, pinangunahan ni DSWD Regional Director Grace Q. Subong ang pamamahagi ng pagkain at regalo sa 99 na mga residents mula sa CRCFs. Ayon kay President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr., “Ang Pasko ay para sa mga bata. Kaya tinitiyak natin na kahit malayo tayo sa ating pamilya at mga mahal sa buhay, kahit mahirap ang ating pinagdaanan ngayong taon, makakapag-celebrate pa rin tayo, magsasaya, at kakain. Yan ang Paskong Pilipino! Kaya ipagpatuloy natin ang tradisyon na ito!” Ang CRCFs ay nagbibigay ng pansamantalang tahanan at nanagangalaga sa mga naging biktima at survivor ng karahasan, mga batang inabandona o pinabayaan, at mga children in conflict with the law (CICL). Kabilang sa CRCFs ng DSWD FO8 ang Haven For Women, Home For Girls, Reception and Study Center for Children, at ang Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth. #BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD

DSWD Field Office 8 was awarded for the invaluable support and continued service as a member of the Gawad KALASAG 2024 Regional Validation and Selection Committee during the 24th Gawad KALASAG National and Regional Awarding Ceremonies Region VIII. Represented by the Assistant Regional Director for Administration, ARDA Clarito T. Logronio, together with the DROMIC focal Mr. Kenny Rudolf Unay and Ms. Evangeline Ty, DSWD received the award on December 2, 2024, at the People’s Center and Library, Tacloban City. Congratulations!  #BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD