DSWD-7 Kicks-Off Information Caravan in Bohol

To intensify its information drive, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII kicked off its information caravan with the Indigenous People (IP) and student grantees in Bohol Province.

The information caravan was designed to provide updates on the different programs and services of DSWD. It also provides a venue where the public can inquire on how to avail DSWD services like the Expanded Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (EAICS).

The first leg was recently done in the mountain barangays of Guindulman and Duero for the IP communities followed by Candijay and Bilar for the student grantees of Expanded Student Grant in-Aide Program for Poverty Allevation (ESGP-PA).

More than 400 individuals attended the said activities that were also in partnership with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) and Bohol Island State University (BISU) Candijay and Bilar Campus.

“Our next information caravan is slated later this month in Lazi, Siquijor and Ubay, Bohol on May,” said Leah Quintana, DSWD-7 Regional Information Officer.

“For the Ubay event, we are inviting Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) parent leaders and non-beneficiaries to attend our information drive because even as we have regular beneficiaries of 4Ps and Social Pension, there are still DSWD programs that caters the general public provided they comply with the requirements,” she explained.

DSWD-7 regional director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre said that the information drive this year will focus on areas identified by Listahanan with the highest magnitude of the poor, in line with DSWD’s core values Maagap at Mapagkalingang Serbisyo, Serbisyong Walang Puwang sa Katiwalian at Patas na Pagtrato sa Komudidad.

Among those who attended the information caravan was Beatice Castañares, 40, of Brgy. Biabas, Guindulman, a member of the Eskaya tribe.
Castañares said she was thankful that government personnel took time to visit their far-flung barangay and shared to them what are the services they can avail.

Sharmaine Unabia ,22, ESGPPA student grantee studying in BISU Bilar Campus also disclosed that although she have heard of DSWD programs like 4Ps and Kalahi-CIDSS, it was only during the caravan she learned that Supplementary Feeding, Social Pension and Sustainable Livelihood Program are also under DSWD.