DSWD7-CNU Inks Partnership for Poor Clients

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 and the Cebu Normal University (CNU) recently inked a partnership to enable poor families to actively participate in the local economy as entrepreneurs or employees.

DSWD-7 Regional Director Mercedita P. Jabagat and CNU President Marcelo T. Lopez signed the Memorandum of Agreement on January 19, 2015 at CNU to pilot the implementation of area-based sustainable livelihood program (SLP).

Under the MOA both parties recognize the need to establish a cooperative approach, converging and conservatively utilizing its resources and capacities in common areas and beneficiaries. With this, the parties hope to contribute to poverty alleviation through empowerment of the disadvantaged individuals to improve their quality of life.

“The purpose of this MOA is to agree and work together under SLP and PantawidPamilyang Pilipino Program,” said Jabagat.

Identified pilot areas for this undertaking are the towns of Medellin and Balamban, Cebu.

DSWD-7 for its part shall validate the eligibility of the selected households if it they are enlisted as PantawidPamilya beneficiaries or listed in Listahananof poor households previously called the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction.

The DSWD shall also provide technical assistance and continuing capability building support to the beneficiaries together with CNU, allocate Php 20,000.00 per beneficiary to cover the skills training costs, and monitor and evaluate the cooperation project with CNU.

More than 200 PantawidPamilya beneficiaries are expected to benefit from the program.

Meanwhile, CNU shall conduct the profiling and assessment of beneficiaries in the selected municipalities, provide venue and equipment for the livelihood project activities and operation, conducts social preparation and Community Driven Enterprise Development (CDED) sessions along with other interventions for the beneficiaries that may be deemed necessary in the implementation in the course of the partnership.

Also, CNU is tasked to conduct skills training to the beneficiaries and pay for the honoraria of the trainers, and monitor the progress of the project and the beneficiaries together with DSWD representatives. (Phoebe Jen Indino-PantawidPamilya Information Officer)