BUTUAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development Caraga Region held its last social welfare and development (SWD) forum for the year 2010 recently at Almont Hotel’s Inland Resort, this city. A total of 97 participants composed of Provincial/ City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officers, Academe and DSWD Caraga staff.

DSWD Caraga Director Mercedita P. Jabagat revealed that the Department institutionalized the conduct of SWD forum to facilitate discussion on social welfare and development, which includes policy issues and concerns, research studies, SWD legislations, technical sharing, issues and trends on national development plan and international commitments and orientation on national projects of DSWD.

Discussed during the forum were the salient features of RA 10121 or an Act Strengthening the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System, Salient features of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9994 or An Act Granting additional Benefits and privileges to Senior Citizens, Project Updates, Inputs on Personality Development, discussion on AIDS 101 and facts about stroke and ways to prevent it. # # # (Social Marketing Unit)