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3rd Panaghiusa Festival Highlights Partner-Beneficiaries’ Success Stories
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII successfully staged the 3rd Panaghiusa Festival held on December 6-8, 2017 at the Ayala Center Cebu.
“Panaghiusa Festival is a celebration of the changes in the lives of our partner-beneficiaries,” DSWD Regional Director Ma. Evelyn B. Macapobre said after the ceremonial ribbon cutting of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) trade exhibit, job fair and information caravan.
Macapobre added that the Department cannot solely take the responsibility of providing all the services to the people, it needs the solidarity of everyone to alleviate people’s lives from poverty.
Aside from DSWD, other partner National Government Agencies (NGAs) also joined the information caravan like the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Meanwhile, a total of 60 jobseekers were hired on the spot in the job fair facilitated by SLP and another 30 participants that is on process for their new job.
Invited employers like Café Security & Investigation Agency, Mega Corinthians Security Agency, Golden Prince Hotel, Creative Cuisine and NG Khai Development Corporation participated in the job fair.
In the afternoon of December 6, DSWD-7 staff flocked in the festival parade from DSWD regional office to Ayala Center Cebu.
During the parade, they proudly wear the Panaghiusa T-shirt that represents DSWD’s corporate colors of Red, Yellow and Blue which is identical to the colors of the Philippine National Flag. These colors are used to reflect where the Department is based and for who it is for.
The DSWD-7 staff also wear a headdress which promote their own program advocacy.
After the parade, a festive opening salvo followed at the Ayala Activity Center.
Three partner-beneficiaries shared their success stories to the public.
“Ang akong gibati sama sa akong gibati karong adlawa, dako kaayo akong kalipay kay pagsulod nako sa ESGPPA, murag gi-ablihan og dako nga pultahan sa mga oportunidad para sa akong kalambuan, para sa akong pamilya ug kaugalingon (My feeling is the same on what I feel today, I’m really happy because when I became ESGPPA, it seems that the gate of opportunity opens for my success, for my family and for myself),” said Josephine Sibelo, a fourth year Bachelor of Elementary Education of Cebu Technological University (CTU) and a recipient of the Expanded Students Grants-in-Aide Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGPPA).
Afterwards, Venerando Ingking, President of The Helping Hands Organization of PWD, Inc., encouraged other PWDs not to lose hope and maximize their functioning abilities in order to move on with their lives.
Ingking is a graduate of therapeutic massage of DSWD’s Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center (AVRC II).
“Sa una nga wala pako nakasulod sa Pantawid, grabe gyud ko ka manggiulawon. Dili ko pakita og tawo kay maulaw jud ko. Pag-abot sa Pantawid, nausab akong kinabuhi kay nahimo akong parent leader ug naka-apil ko’g daghang mga seminars ug capability building (Before when I was not yet a Pantawid member, I used to be shy. I shied away from people because I was too shy to face them. When Pantawid came, it changes my life because it made me a parent leader and I was able to join various seminars and capability building),” said Nena Pableo, a Pantawid Pamilya and SLP partner-participant from Moalboal, Cebu.
Lively cultural dances from the Cebu Normal University (CNU) Kudyapi Folkloric Ensemble and DSWD-7 Dance Troupe add spectacle to the event.
Luke Niño Doliente, 2017 Regional Children’s Contest singing category first placer, performed his winning piece “Paglaum” to the delight of the audience.
The opening salvo ended with a fashion show which showcased partner-beneficiaries’ livelihood products like hablon, macramé, abaca, raffia, fashion accessories, footwear among others.
After the fashion show, mall goers trooped to the SLP trade exhibit to buy the products.
For the 3-day exhibit, the partner-beneficiaries gained an accumulated net profit of Php 48,000.00.
