“Kaya kong maging huwarang magulang at miyembro ng aking pamayanan!”

This was the statement of the participants during the Parents’ Congress last April 30 and May 2, 2014 at Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

Beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Sustainable Livelihood Program and Core Shelter Assistance Project from the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela attended the event.

The activity focused on the discussions about Responsible Parenthood, Corporal Punishment versus Positive Discipline and the Differences between Men and Women all aimed at capacitating the parents to be more responsible in raising their children and with their spouses.

In her message, DSWD Regional Director Remia T. Tapispisan emphasized that the condition of a locality reflects the kind of families who live in it so the values and morals should begin at home.

“Lahat ng gusto nating makamit para sa ating pamayanan, ang unang hakbang ay magsisimula sa ating tahanan. Kaya kung tayo ay responsable sa loob ng ating mga bahay, tiyak na kaya rin nating maging responsableng mamamayan,” Director Tapispisan said.

There were also mini-workshops during the event which improved the social skills of the participants.

The activity ended with the sharing of learning insights from the parent beneficiaries wherein they also expressed their gratitude to DSWD for having programs and services that caters to poor families.

Mary Jane Guttierez, a beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilya from Piat, Cagayan said that the activity gave her a deeper sense of commitment in parenting her children. She also learned how to value and take care of her marriage.

Pantawid Pamilya, SLP and CSAP are programs of DSWD that aim to uplift the well-being of poor Filipino families in the country by providing cash grants in exchange of compliance to health and education conditionalities (Pantawid), providing skills development, technical assistance and seed capital to enable the poor to access opportunities (SLP) and by providing shelter to disaster-affected families whose houses were destroyed during typhoons and calamities (CSAP). ###By MARICEL B. ASEJO, Pantawid Information Officer II