It has been said, Difference makes us who and what we are and that difference gives us a choice to become what we have wanted to become.

For this year, a group of catalyst for change conducted a close deliberation in the expanded membership of Provincial Advisory Committee (PAC) of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in Agusan del Sur as reflected in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) and Provincial Training Center (PTC) in Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.

Countersigned by representatives from different regional line agencies, they consolidated the objectives and have arrived to a single purpose, that is, to expand the membership of the PAC apropos the mandate for its expansion as reflected in the MOU approved by the different government heads/secretaries.

This collective effort was attended by various participants of PAC and Provincial Grievance Committee (PGC) members from partner government agencies, provincial link, provincial grievance officer, sangguniang panlalawigan members, president of the provincial liga ng mga barangay, president of league of municipalities and the Civil Society Organization (CSO) partners all one out, to connect and be able to paint desirable change to its subject constituents, the beneficiaries.

With its expansion as mandated in the MOU agreed and contracted on July 24, 2014 by the converging parties; to wit, Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Interior Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). They have conceived a unified goal to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the government efforts to alleviate poverty, create jobs, ensure food security, and provide a healthy and safe environment through convergence arrangements that promote cooperation and complementation on the different programs and projects, including those for community-based sustainable livelihood and enterprise development in the countryside.

Philippine Normal University-Agusan Campus was incorporated as its new partner for extending its support to the realization of Expanded Student Grants in aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGPPA).

This unified action towards progress has marked an edge of success for the Pantawid Program and to the various cooperating agencies in continually creating difference for others sake. Public service it may seem, but the generosity of each participating institution prevails when the crafting of the Executive Order (EO) was on its way to its final review and approval.

Success is now to the beneficiaries and the welfare it brings to them is forever.

The PAC of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program was created to ensure partnership and collaboration among different government agencies and CSO in relation to the implementation of the program at all levels. The program partners are mandated to create programs and projects geared towards the improvement of the well-being of those who have less in life.

It can be recalled that Executive Order (EO) No. 21-11, Series of 2011 entitled “Creating the Provincial Advisory Committee of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” was signed and approved by the benevolent provincial governor of Agusan del Sur, Hon. Adolph Edward G. Plaza. This mandate causes PAC to start officially its operation in the slated province to monitor the compliance of the beneficiaries in all social indicators particularly on health and education. Along with this preemptive inkling, the program partners will regularly arrange for updates on the implementation of specific program and projects that concern the beneficiaries; number of beneficiaries covered, extent of the benefit the project brings to the beneficiaries, cooperation of the beneficiaries in the delivery of the services, and other indicators that will contribute to the success of its implementation. Momentarily, the amended EO will be presented by the body for final review and approval on the next PAC meeting. ###( Social Marketing Unit/ DSWD FO Caraga )