The Municipal Action Team of Carmen, Surigao del Sur was awarded the 3rd Best Convergence Action Team in the nation during the 2021 Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) PRAISE Awards held via virtual platform on January 21, 2022. PRAISE is an annual recognition of the best performing offices/individuals at the Department, given during the DSWD Anniversary celebration.
Co-owning the mission of the Department where the poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged are given the priority in the implementation of programs and services, MAT Carmen always strives for an improved quality of life to all Carmenanons.
With a 14,000-hectare land area, Carmen, known as the “sleepy secret municipality,” is home to 10,347 people based from the 2015 consensus, with 761 active Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) households as of the latest household status from Program’s Information System database.
Despite that the municipality of Carmen has a wide field and known as an agricultural frontier, the community is still facing the reality of poverty as also reflected on the 2015 Social Welfare and Development Indicators (SWDI) gaps which shows ample number of unemployed household heads, outgrowing number of unskilled adult households due to lack of education, etc. As per 2015 SWDI data, the municipality has 234 households under survival, 341 households under subsistence and 166 households under self-sufficiency.
However, as per 2020 SWDI result, there are now 1 household under survival, 281 households under subsistence and 433 households under self-sufficiency. This highly reflects the transition of households on their level of well-being from survival to self-sufficiency. All these are realized with the convergence of the MAT along with the Municipal Convergence Advisory Committee (MCAC) of Carmen.
The team was made functional with a defined goal to carry out packets of interventions, and multiply the impact within the beneficiaries, and the community. The team has a unified Municipal Action Plan and SWDI-based Action Plan crafted together with the partner stakeholders through MCAC meetings and consultative meetings – this is to plan for interventions to address the gaps based on SWDI. The team believes that there is a need for convergence of efforts from internal and external stakeholders to ensure that complementation of all poverty-reduction programs are working at the community level.
Throughout the years, the Local Government Unit has also played a major role in the successful endeavors of the MAT. In fact, LGU Carmen has been recognized as the Model LGU Implementing Sustainable Livelihood Program last 2016, in Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program last 2017, and in KC-NCDDP last 2018. This concerted team effort drives out the success in the implementation of programs and services across all social service workforce. To highlight some:
- Establishment of Functional Municipal Inter-Agency Committee – With the tatsulo (having the 3 core programs in the municipality), the committee was more avid in demonstrating partnership to other agencies to act on shared plans and goals to further improve the lives of 4Ps beneficiaries. Thus, four (4) Executive Orders were issued for the composition of the Committee.
- Community Organizing and Interventions to Indigenous Peoples – 196 IPs located in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) of 246 Pantawid households are presently given services from the 3 core programs with different modalities not only from DSWD but also from the different stakeholders.
- Barangay Consultation on Peace and Development. Empowerment – Stakeholders analysis and needs-assessment was conducted in the community through the collaborative effort of MAT and LGU Carmen. Through this consultation, the community raised their concerns on issues about security, agriculture, livelihood, community participation, governance, socio-economic, infrastructure, and environmental.
- Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) Tracks – A total of 1, 552 household beneficiaries were served in the whole municipality, 1,217 households were assisted under the micro-enterprise development track, and 193 beneficiaries were assisted under the employment facilitation track. Significantly, the SLP implementation in Carmen has utilized a total amount of P13,352,985 with complete liquidation of funds submitted to the regional office.
- Kalahi-CIDSS NCDDP Projects – A total of 28 sub-projects were implemented, in accordance with the approved technical design specifications and final plan. These completed sub-projects are expected to respond to the need/s of the communities as it continues to serve as a vehicle for community-driven development (CDD) approach.
- MCAC Resolutions in support to 4Ps Implementation – Support to the conduct of various 4Ps activities with allocated funds, such as monthly celebrations, annual searches, team building activities, and Family Development Sessions. Moreover, the MCAC resolutions aim to resolve the issues around 4Ps implementation, especially the issue on cash card pawning.
All these interventions and convergence efforts from the internal and external stakeholders ultimately contributed to the achievement of DSWD’s Organizational Outcome no. 1 – The Improvement of Well-Being of Family Beneficiaries. The team has also established harmonious relationships with the Department of Education, Department of Health, Department of Trade and Industry, Surigao del Sur State University, among others.
With all the cooperation and convergence taking place, the team can proudly say that despite the challenges and threat brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, they are far from inoperable. This even made them more spirited and dynamic to serve more in times of this emergency situation where the majority of the beneficiaries are in dire need of the delivery of their services. A characteristic that is indeed PRAISE-worthy! ###(Social Marketing Section/DSWD Field Office Caraga)
