Butuan City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office Caraga conducted the periodic Regional Social Welfare and Development Forum on November 12, 2013. The said forum served as the venue for sharing and developing knowledge as well as strengthening opportunities for collaboration and alliance building between the Department and its partner Local Government Units (LGUs).

Standards Unit Head, Golda Vergara-Pocon focused and expounded on the topic entitled “Local Social Welfare Development Office (LSWDO) Functionality: A Must for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in the Country.” Mrs. Pocon gave an initial summary and analysis of the LSWDO Functionality Assessment as provided for under the DSWD Administrative Order No. 7 series of 2012.

To stress the role of the DSWD in the provision of technical assistance and capacity building to partner LGUs and CSOs – Miss Marigrace Duropan and Mr. Charlo Costales of the DSWD-Capacity Building Bureau facilitated an orientation on the Competency Assessment Tool as benchmarks for the Capacity Building Needs of partner LSWDOs.

A research entitled “Perceptions of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Beneficiaries on the Attainment of its Objective in Caraga Region” was also presented by Ms. Jasmine Berido, Supervising Economic Development Specialist II of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Caraga.

Among the issues and concerns raised by the LSWDOs who attended the forum is the need for a wider dissemination of the Magna Carta for Public Social Workers and the DSWD’s thrust to assess the current SWD Systems Delivery of the LGUs. It was noted that both continue to remain as a challenge and an opportunity for engaging partner LGUs.

In her message, Director Minda B. Brigoli assured the partner LSWDOs that the Department is bent on implementing measures and strategies to strongly encourage LGUs to better implement SWD programs and services. She further stressed that LSWDO Functionality is made as one of the Department’s Strategic Goals and thus, all efforts are geared and focused for the achievement of this goal by 2016. And although they are already devolved, Dir. Brigoli gently reminded and exhorted the LSWDO to continue without failing the DSWD Brand for Service Excellence to be always “Magiliw” in relating to the beneficiaries, partners and LGU Officials; Matapat in doing their day-to-day tasks, functions and responsibilities especially with regard to fiscal matters; and Mahusay in dispensing the mandates of their office as Local SWD Managers upholding the principles and ethics of the Social Work Profession to the highest degree as possible.### Social Marketing Unit (Maria Cecilia N. Sosas)