4Ps convenes RAC, RICM members | DSWD Field Office CARAGA

Posted on March 14, 2023

DSWD Caraga Assistant Regional Director for Operations Jean Paul S. Parajes (5th from left) and 4Ps Caraga Division Chief Crislea D. Celeste (6th from right) pose for a photo with RAC members during the 1st quarterly meeting at Watergate Hotel, Butuan City on March 13.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the Regional Program Management Office of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Caraga has recently convened the members of the Regional Advisory Council (RAC) and Independent Monitoring Committee (IMC) in order to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency in the implementation of the Program in the region.

The Agency held on March 13, its 1st quarterly meeting with RAC members, which is composed of national government agencies, namely: the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and Department of Agriculture (DA).

Also among the RAC members is International Holistic Engagement for Life Progress (iHELP), a civil society organization.

The RAC is created to enhance ownership and promote joint efforts with partner agencies. The Council also ensures the availability of the supply side on health, nutrition, and education; and provides the necessary support services to meet the conditionality for the success of the Program.

RAC meetings are conducted to help sustain the commitment of partner agencies through the RAC resolutions crafted and formulated for the past years that have been beneficial to the Program implementation.

On the other hand, the 1st Quarter IMC meeting was conducted together with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on March 20. Both RAC and IMC meetings were conducted at the Watergate Hotel in Butuan City.

CSOs that participated on the IMC meeting are Friendship Goals Society Caraga-Butuan Inc. (FGSCBI), Loving Presence Foundation Inc., Taguibo Pantawid Sustainable Association, Surigao State College of Technology, Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Philippines (FFWUP), Tebow CURE Hospital, Foundation for the Development of Agusanons Inc., and BAUG Carp Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

DSWD Caraga 4Ps Division Chief Crislea D. Celeste (4th from right) and 4Ps Caraga staff (forefront) pose for a photo with IMC members during the 1st quarterly meeting at Watergate Hotel, Butuan City on March 20.

The IMC meeting aims to discuss the current status, updates, issues and concern of the Program implementation so that they could come up with resolutions, policies, and recommendations. The IMC shall complement the monitoring activities of the DSWD and provide its monitoring results as input in program implementation to respective Advisory Councils.

The creation of IMC and RAC is in accordance with Republic Act 11310, also known as the 4Ps Act. The law said that RAC and IMC shall be created at the national and regional levels.