BASAHIN: Ito ang pahayag ni Anna, isang survivor ng Violence Against Women na kasalukuyang nasa pangangalaga ng Haven for Women (HFW), isa sa mga Centers and Residential Care Facilities (CRCFs) ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 8. “Nagdesisyon ako na pumunta sa temporary shelter, sa Haven For Women. Noong unang araw ko doon, wala akong magawa kundi umiyak dahil sa pangungulila. Kaya nagpapasalamat ako sa staff at mga houseparent na nag-comfort sa akin. Di nila ako pinabayaan. Naging instrumento ang staff ng Haven para maibalik ko ang aking dignidad. Marami ang serbisyong natanggap ko habang nasa HFW ako. Kasama dito ang mga medical check-up, pati na ang gamot at immunization para sa anak ko. Sa psychological naman, malaking tulong ang Social Services Counselling para sa aking decision-making. Sa Homelife Services naman, marami akong nakuhang kaalaman. Nahasa ang aking kakayahan sa pagluto, paglinis at pag-time management, kung papaano gamitin ang aking oras. Sa Livelihood naman, isang oportunidad para sa akin na makasali sa training ng TESDA para sa baking ng bread and pastries. Isa ako sa mga maswerteng nakapasa sa NC-II Exam. Malaking tulong ito sa akin, lalo na paglabas ko sa Haven. Hindi na ako mag-aalala kung ano ang gagawin ko para mapakain ang anak ko. Sa spiritual naman, mas napalapit ako sa Panginoon. Alam ko na binibigyan Niya ako ng guidance at blessings araw-araw. Nagpapasalamat ako sa staff at houseparent sa Haven dahil sa maganda nilang pag-trato sa akin. Hindi nila ako pinabayaan. Isa sila sa mga malaki ang naitulong para mabago ko ang aking buhay. Salamat sa inyong mga payo! Marami kayong natutulungang mga babae na may hinaharap na problema. Ngayon, masasabi kong malaki na ang pinagkaiba ng Anna noon, at ang Anna na nasa harap ninyo ngayon. Gusto kong i-congratulate ang Anna na nasa harap ninyo ngayon dahil nalagpasan niya ang mga pagsubok sa buhay. Alam kong kaya ko na humarap sa mga problema. Para sa mga babaeng humaharap sa pang-aabuso, karahasan at iba pang mga problema; para sa mga baabeng nangangailangan ng tulong, andito ang Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Andito ang Haven For Women, 24/7. Huwag kayong mahiyang lumapit, kasi hindi kayo nila papabayaan. Tutulungan nila kayo.” #BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD

TINGNAN: Asahan na mas dadami pa ang mga kwalipikadong benepisyaryong makatatanggap ng food credit sa patuloy na Verification and Registration Activities na ginagawa sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng Eastern Visayas ngayong araw! Sa Oras, Eastern Samar, umabot na sa 467 ang mga na-validate na benepisyaryo, habang sa Catarman, Northern Samar, Borongan, Catbalogan City, Samar City Hall, at Palompon, Leyte ay dagsa parin ang tao sa ginagawang registration activity. Lahat naman ng mga kwalipikadong benepisyaryo sa mga bayang ito ay makakatanggap ng Php 3,000 food credit na pwedeng gamitin sa pagbili ng pagkain sa mga DSWD-accredited retailers sa araw ng redemption. Ang Walang Gutom Program ay isang pangunahing programa ng gobyerno na naglalayong labanan ang gutom at malnutrisyon dulot ng kahirapan at mababang kita. #BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD

𝐃𝐒𝐖𝐃 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞: The DSWD Field Office 8, through its Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan- Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) Regional Program Management Office and Social Marketing Unit, conducted a Partnership Forum with around 65 National Government Agencies in the region as an initiative to intensify its advocacy efforts to promote the Community-Driven development approach of the program at the Leyte Academic Center, Palo, Leyte on 26 November 27, 2024. Attended by Regional Directors, Heads of Offices and representatives, and Information Officers, the main highlight of the event is the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to institutionalize the partnership among government institutions to strengthen the whole-of-government approach of information dissemination and development communication in line with the program’s aim to promote community empowerment. “Community-Driven Development promotes participation, transparency, and accountability and we want to spread these key principles of the program to our communities, with the support of our partner agencies; we are partners to influence change in our communities,” DSWD Field Office 8 Regional Director Grace Q. Subong emphasized during the activity. The event also introduced the proposed Philippine Community Resilience Project “Panahon ng Pagkilos,” with an objective to strengthen community capacities for participatory resilience planning and deliver resilience investments in vulnerable areas to lobby future collaborations with partner agencies for the implementation of the project. The Association of Government Information Officers 8 (AGIO-8), which mobilizes the government information officers in the region for public information and advocacy, also signified its support as a platform in ensuring community empowerment, not only among government agencies but also with the sectors which each member of the community or association serves. Some of the National Government Agencies present during the activity were the following: National Economic and Development Authority 8, Philippine Information Agency Eastern Visayas, DENR- Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Environmental Management Bureau, Department of Agriculture, Office of Civil Defense, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tacloban, National Telecommunications Commission, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Tourism Region VIII, and Department of Health-Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development, among others. #MagKalahiTayoPilipinas#BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD

IN PHOTOS: Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VIII accepted rice donation from Government of Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF-Japan) today, November 27, 2024, for distribution to the families affected by massive flooding and severe drought in the province of Leyte. Undersecretary of the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Diana Rose S. Cajipe, together with the National Food Authority (NFA) OIC Deputy Administrator Mario G. Granada, formally received the 300 metric tons (MT) of rice, equivalent to 10,000 bags of milled rice. This donation falls under the Tier 3 Program of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR). Also present at the handover ceremony were Japan Embassy First Secretary and Agricultural Attache Akasaka Hidenori, APTERR Secretariat General Manager Choomjet Karnjanakesorn, NFA VIII Regional Manager Gerard Lim, DSWD Field Office VIII Regional Director Grace Subong, and local chief executives from the affected municipalities, including Capoocan, Calubian, Dulag, Inopacan, Merida, Villaba, Hindang, Bato, Hilongos, and Palo. Moreover, Leyte Governor Jericho Petilla, through his representative, expressed gratitude to APTERR for the donation, noting its significant help to affected families. #BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD

Namahagi ang Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VIII ng Enhanced Support Services Intervention (ESSI) grants sa 211 benepisyaryo ng Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) sa Alangalang, Leyte. Nakatanggap ang bawat benepisyaryo ng P15,000 na maaaring gamitin pantustos sa kanilang kabuhayan batay sa kanilang kasanayan, interes, at pangangailangan. Magpapatuloy ang pamamahagi ng ESSI grants sa iba pang bayan sa Eastern Visayas sa mga darating na araw. #BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD

“I firmly believe today that the only way to stop violence against women is to speak out and refused to be silenced.” – Zainab Salbi Every survivor of Violence Against Women (VAW) has a voice. And these voices, when given a platform, can become powerful stories. These stories can raise awareness, give strength and hope to other survivors, and encourage others to take a stand against VAW. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 8, together with its partners, recently gathered several residents from two of its Centers and Residential Care Facilities (CRCFs) for a Stories of Survivors Forum as part of the 18-day Campaign Against VAW. During the said forum, VAW survivors, including residents from DSWD’s Haven For Women and Home For Girls inspired each other by sharing stories of survival, hope and courage. According to DSWD Assistant Regional Director of Administration Clarito Logronio, “this forum allows us to listen to survivors and reaffirm our commitment. It allows us to raise awareness that all victims have the right to speak, and when they do, mayroong tutulong sa kanila.” Further, DSWD’s partners in the fight against VAW, including the Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police expressed their support and their assurance that they are working to protect survivors of VAW. If you or anyone you know is a victim of VAW, you are not alone. Speak out, reach out. Please do not hesitate to contact the nearest VAW desk at police stations or barangay halls. #BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD

Sa pinakahuling episode ng DSWD Eastern Visayas TV na ipinalabas sa PRTV Tacloban, itinampok ang Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) at BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency Through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) ng DSWD Field Office VIII. Ayon sa datos, 4,089 partner-beneficiaries ang nakibahagi sa nasabing proyekto, kung saan mahigit ₱30 milyon ang naipamahagi, sa ilalim ng Cash for Work/Training modality. Kasabay nito, naibahagi din sa programa ang mga serbisyo ng ng Disaster Response Management Division ng ahensya, partikular na ang relief augmentation bilang tugon sa mga sakuna. Isa itong hakbang upang mas maipaliwanag at maiparating sa publiko ang mga layunin at programa ng DSWD. #projectlawaatbinhi#BawatBuhayMahalagaSaDSWD