The field office’s Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU) as well as its Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) offices in the five (5) provinces in the region have consistently been the busiest offices in the field office for many years, with its fleet of workers rendering service early in the morning until late at night because of the surge of clients seeking different types of assistance that the field office offer.

In fact, the CIU averages 280 clients per day which are assessed by seven (7) social workers with a ratio of 1:40 and two social workers handle the payout.

Yet even with this increase in responsibilities, the unit has maintained its excellence in service, consistently ranking among the best CIUs in the nation, garnering recognition as 2nd Best CIU during the National PRAISE Awards during the years’ 2015 and 2018.

Efficient Service

The unit has always efficiently utilized funds downloaded to it and though funds cascaded to the unit have increased every year, the unit has utilized all of it, meaning more clients were served and assisted.

The unit was even acknowledged by the field office’s resident Commission on Audit (COA) auditor, stating in one of its reports that there were “no deficiencies in the course of the cash examination and that all transactions were recorded promptly and chronologically in the Cash Disbursement Records or Cashbooks, the balances footed and closed at the end of each month and were duly certified by the Accountable Officer in accordance with prescribed rules and regulations.”

Indeed, even with the bulk of work that it does which requires tons of documents to be processed and maintained, the unit manages to follow all the rules needed to liquidate all the funds that it uses to assist and help clients.

Clients’ needs are also prioritized as they are swiftly taken to the CIU Waiting Area as they arrive in the field office and no longer need to go through the Bilis Action Desk of the office.

The waiting area always has a resident nurse ready to provide medical assistance such as monitoring of blood pressure and provision of maintenance medicine to clients needing immediate assistance along with free coffee, water and adequate ventilation through the installation of ceiling fans.

The CIU also has a Breastfeeding Area for lactating mothers and a designated Children’s Play Corner to cater to the needs of women and children.

Social Marketing Efforts

To while away time while waiting for their turn, televisions were also installed in the waiting area where field office and agency videos are played for clients to get to know the other programs and services of the field office.

Boards containing tarpaulins of the different types of assistance the CIU provide and the step-by-step process to avail of them are also strategically placed in the waiting area.

Collaboration with Partners

The targets of the CIU and its satellite SWAD offices are met because of its good working relationship with partner Local Government Units, Government Agencies, Service Providers and other partners.

To date, the CIU has already forged 25 Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) with service providers, 21 hospitals and 4 funeral parlors, throughout the region as it continues to find ways to assist clients especially those coming from far-flung areas.

Aside from the provision of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), the CIU also advocates the implementation of Assistance to Communities in Need (ACN) projects through the provision of technical assistance in the form of constant monitoring and follow through with LGUs in the submission of complete documentary requirements for ACN.

The CIU and its SWAD offices also constantly receive referrals from the Presidential Management Staff, Office of Senators, Office of Congressmen, 8888 hotline, Partylist members, Governors and Mayors. Even with the high number of walk-in clients served on a daily basis, these referrals are facilitated immediately.

Adherence to Reportorial Requirements

The CIU also submits timely regular monthly, quarterly, semestral and annual narrative and statistical reports to the Central Office as well as the field office’s Planning Section in order to share highlights and accomplishments done by the unit.

The unit also submits quarterly reports to the Internal Audit Service (IAS) in line with its Integrity Management Plan that was drafted and finalized in 2015.

The CIU, through the above-mentioned reports, strictly follows Item No. 10, Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation, of Memorandum Circular No. 4 Series of 2015 or the Guidelines in the Implementation of the Protective Services Program which specifies the submission of reports.

The road forward

Working in the CIU and its satellite SWAD offices comes with challenges and difficulties. Staff have to deal with clients with diverse personalities. Staff also had to deal with delays in their salaries and even had to go through times when those who were under Cost of Service status were advised to discontinue due to insufficient funds.

Through all the difficulties, the workers remained steadfast and remains committed to serving the disadvantaged and vulnerable sectors of society, true to the mandate of the DSWD of Maagap at Mapagkalingang Serbisyo. ###

Penablanca, Cagayan – 284 families affected by last year’s Typhoon Quiel received assistance from the field office’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) at a simple ceremony attended by Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and DSWD Undersecretary Aimee Torrefranca-Neri at the Cagayan Provincial Capitol earlier today.

The beneficiaries received assistance amounting to P3,000.00 each for a total cost of P852,000.00.

The beneficiaries were those affected by the above-mentioned typhoon that brought days of rain and flooding, prompting a large number of families to be evacuated.

Meanwhile, the Undersecretary, DSWD Regional Director Fernando R. De Villa, Jr. along with other field office personnel also attended the opening of a Malasakit Center at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in Tuguegarao City that was led by Senator Go.

Malasakit Centers process and approve requests for medical and financial assistance of indigent patients with the DSWD, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) as partners.

The creation of Malasakit Centers in hospitals run by the DOH was institutionalized with the signing of Republic Act 11464 or the Malasakit Center Act by President Rodrigo Duterte last December.

Director De Villa, Jr. meanwhile mentioned that the field office will provide necessary assistance to the Malasakit Center for it to function to its fullest potential.

“Ang field office natin ay nandito upang tulungan ang Malasakit Center upang magampanan nito ang kanyang responsibilidad ayon sa batas upang mapagsilbihan ang mga kababayan nating mahihirap,” Director De Villa, Jr. said. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Field Office (FO) in Cagayan Valley, has conducted relief operations for families in various municipalities affected by rains and flooding caused by the surge of the Northeast Monsoon and the tail end of a cold front.

As of December 9, 2019, some 18,101 family food packs (FFP), 2,739 sleeping kits, and 1,388 kitchen kits worth P9,768,625.14 were distributed to the municipalities of Alcala, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Lal-lo, Abulug, Ballesteros, Claveria, Pamplona, Rizal, Sanchez Mira, Sta. Praxedes, Amulung, Iguig, Solana, Enrile and Tuguegarao City in the province of Cagayan and the municipalities of Delfin Albano, Sta. Maria, Cabagan, Ilagan City, Sto. Tomas, San Pablo, Tumauini, Benito Soliven, Aurora, Roxas, Cauayan in Isabela province.

FO II workers also visited various evacuation centers in Cagayan and Isabela to check on the condition of evacuees, conduct psychosocial intervention, and ensure that there are child and women-friendly spaces.

The FO assures that standby funds and relief supplies are enough to augment the resources of partner-local government units (LGUs) for their constituents.

In order to properly handle its functions during calamities, the FO maintains 23 Regional Disaster Management and Response Teams (RDMRTs) working on a rotational basis, five Social Welfare and Development Teams (SWADTs) deployed in five provinces of the region, and 87 City/Municipal Action Teams (C/MATs).

Under the Local Government Code, LGUs are the first responders before, during, and after a disaster. They are primarily responsible for disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response. While the DSWD augments the resources of the LGUs, as needed, to respond to the needs of affected families and individuals. ###

November 20, 2019 – Just as Typhoon Ramon was going through the northern municipalities of Cagayan province yesterday, DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista arrived and visited affected families in various municipalities of the province of Cagayan to check on their condition.

The Secretary visited Abulug town followed by stops in the municipalities of Pamplona and Allacapan, spending time listening to families and individuals about their experiences after the most recent typhoon to hit the Cagayan Valley Region.

Secretary Bautista also led the distribution of financial assistance through DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) to 2,316 families affected by Typhoon Quiel and the tail end of a cold front in Cagayan earlier this month whilst promising the constituents of each town that the department shall continuously provide support and augmentation as long as there is need to do so.

This promise was made in light of the successive storms that hit the region (TY Queil and TY Ramon) just this past week. Each beneficiary received P3,000.00 for a total cost of assistance of P6,948,000.00 distributed today.

In his statement, Secretary Bautista assured affected families of assistance based on the agency’s mandates and its existing programs and services.

Assisting the secretary was DSWD Field Office 02 Regional Director Fernando R. De Villa, Jr. who also expressed his desire, in behalf of the field office, to assist affected families and individuals.

“Tayo ay nakapagbigay na ng family food packs at iba pang non-food items sa mga apektadong pamilya dito sa Cagayan at patuloy tayong aalalay sa kanila ayon sa ating mandato sa DSWD,” Director De Villa, Jr. said. Dir. De Villa also assured the different municipalities that the region is prepared for the current disaster and those that has yet to come.

The mayors of the different towns responded gratefully and recognized the department’s effort. Mayor Jesus Florencio A. Vargas, the municipal mayor of Abulug, Cagayan, thanked the department and even recognized the commitment of the department saying that the officials of the DSWD braved the rain and wind just to give assistance.

As of the November 20, 2019 12 NN Situational Report of the field office, there are a total of 1,863 families or 6,046 persons temporarily staying in 120 evacuation centers across 18 municipalities in the province of Cagayan. ###

The DSWD here in the Cagayan Valley Region has started its preparations for Tropical Storm ‘Ramon,’ which as of the latest forecast is expected to make landfall in Luzon over the weekend.

Regional Director Fernando R. De Villa, Jr. has instructed field office staff to stay on alert and has activated Regional Disaster Management and Response Teams (RDMRTs) to coordinate with concerned local government units (LGUs) and other partners for the possible effects of the approaching typhoon and for augmentation purposes.

“Handa tayo dito para sa Typhoon Ramon at ang ating mga kawani ay nakahanda upang maglingkod ngayong mayroong parating na bagyo,” Director De Villa, Jr. added.

The field office has 20,494 Family Food Packs (FFPs) amounting to P8,549,220.44, 653 NFA rice and vacuum rice worth P639,602.00 and 3,940 non-food items amounting to P3,894,544.25 prepositioned in its warehouse ready for augmentation to the region’s cities and municipalities.

A total of 6,446 FFPs worth P2,000,967.32 has also been prepositioned to the Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) offices in the provinces of Isabela, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya to serve as first augmenters to the needs of the provinces’ cities and municipalities.

A total of P3,564,703.35 standby fund is also available in the field office for disaster response operations purposes.

The field office maintains 23 RDMRTs composed of six members per team that render service on a rotational basis. There are also 87 City/Municipal Action Team (C/MATs) stationed in the five provinces of the region that monitor the effects of disasters/calamities and conduct response operations. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to improve its centers and residential care facilities (CRCF) in different parts of the country under the CRCF Infrastructure Project to provide better welfare services to the members of the vulnerable sectors.

In Cagayan Valley, DSWD Field Office (FO) II has completed various repair and construction works in its three centers in the region.

The FO has completed the building of a one-storey dormitory at the Reception and Study Center for Children (RSCC), a facility in Solana, Cagayan which provides temporary care and shelter to abandoned, neglected, and abused children. The dormitory provides additional bed capacity to the center, increasing the number of clients that it could serve. Repairs were also done at the center, including the repainting of the rooms and the installation of railings for persons with disabilities.

The FO, likewise, carried out improvements at the Regional Haven for Women and Girls (RHWG), also in Solana, Cagayan. These include repainting works, upgrading of the industrial kitchen, and construction of a path walk, parking area, and additional comfort rooms.

RHWG provides temporary shelter and protective custody to women aged 18-59 who are victims of involuntary or forced prostitution, illegal recruitment, and abuse to help them regain their dignity and restore their normal lives.

Meanwhile, repairs and construction works were also done at the Cagayan Valley – Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (CV-RRCY), a center located in Enrile, Cagayan which serves children in conflict with the law (CICL). A clinic, dormitory, and industrial kitchen were constructed in the facility to improve the provision of services to its clients.

The improvements in the center include the installation of new perimeter lights, road upgrading, and repairs and rehabilitation of its existing facilities.

Apart from carrying outs repair and construction works, DSWD FO II also installed rain water collectors in each of the center to protect the facilities from flooding and ensure the safety of the residents.

DSWD’s CRCF project has a P2.3 billion fund allocation, covering four new centers and 210 infrastructure projects in DSWD’s 71 centers and facilities nationwide. ###

November 1, 2019 – DSWD Field Office 2 personnel has extended assistance to the families of individuals who passed away due to a vehicular accident in Conner, Apayao on the night of October 31, 2019.

18 bereaved families received burial assistance amounting to P10,000 each as part of DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS). 18 of the 19 who passed away were from Rizal, Cagayan and another from Conner, Apayao of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Meanwhile, 10 injured individuals, from Rizal, Cagayan, who are presently in Conner District Hospital were also given medical assistance amounting to P5,000 each.

Another 10 injured individuals were referred to the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) for further treatment.

7 of the 10 injured individuals who were referred to the CVMC also received food assistance amounting to P3,000 each. The injured individuals may also be given further medical aid pending assessment by field office social workers.

The field office is now coordinating with the Local Social Welfare and Development Office (LSWDO) of Rizal, Cagayan for possible assistance that the field office may give to the 3 injured individuals who were earlier released from the CVMC. ###

October 22, 2019 – The National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), also called Listahanan, has commenced with activities in line with the impending start of the 3^rd round of Household Assessment in the Cagayan Valley Region.

Field Workers Training

A training/orientation on the endeavor for Area Coordinators (AC) was conducted by Listahanan at Sta. Ana, Cagayan last October 8-11, 2019 which was followed by a training of Area Supervisors (AS) in Tuguegarao City last October 15-18, 2019.

Regional Director Fernando R. De Villa, Jr., in his message to the trained field staff, urged the latter to always gather data that are “sigurado, kumpleto, totoo” to be able to produce a List of Poor Households free from errors and can withstand scrutiny.

Four (4) batches of trainings for Enumerators for the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya shall follow for the rest of the month.

LGU Orientation

An orientation for partner local chief executives and local social welfare and development officers for the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino was also conducted last week for information on what the assessment is about and to elicit support for the implementation of the assessment later on.

Director De Villa, Jr. with assistance from Assistant Regional Director for Operations (ARDO) Lucia S. Alan, Listahanan Regional Focal Person (RFP) Pasencia T. Ancheta and Listahanan Regional Field Coordinator (RFC) Christopher Soriano led the orientation for the said partners.

Not a Social Protection Program

The Listahanan Regional Project Management Office (RPMO) also reiterates that the upcoming assessment of households is not a guarantee of interviewed families/individuals from being part of the programs and services of the DSWD, contrary to news circulating on social media saying otherwise.

The assessment aims to produce the List of Poor Households in the region that will be subjected to a Proxy Means Test (PMT) in the DSWD Central Office to determine households assessed that are living above, below or on the poverty threshold before being cascaded back to the region.

The Final List of Poor Households shall be the basis of the agency and partner National Government Agencies (NGAs) in the identification of beneficiaries for their social protection programs.

Partners LGUs and other parties may also use the list through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between the DSWD and the requesting party.

The assessment in the region is expected to start in November. ###