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DSWD 4A regional director Leticia T. Diokno

DSWD and Zobel Foundation unite for poverty alleviation

DSWD 4A regional director Leticia T. Diokno
DSWD 4A regional director Leticia T. Diokno

BATANGAS CITY, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development and the E. Zobel Foundation, Inc. recently formalized partnership for the implementation of livelihood training intended for the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in this municipality.

DSWD 4A regional director Leticia T. Diokno and Dee Anne Hora Zobel, chairperson of E. Zobel Foundation board of trustees signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the livelihood training.

The E. Zobel Foundation, even prior to the signing of the MOA, has been serving Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in the said municipality through its livelihood trainings. To date, 14 Pantawid mother-grantees had been trained on basic cosmetology while 11 are engaged in Nutrimix Livelihood project, a mongo-based food snacks sold to students in public schools in the municipality.

“The Department acknowledges E. Zobel for entering into a partnership with us. Most of the services we offer complement each other, and we hope that this partnership will be a start of the collaboration of our services to ensure that every poor household is served [even those not covered by Pantawid Pamilya],”  Diokno said during the simple MOA signing ceremony.

Besides the provision of livelihood training and opportunities for Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries, the E. Zobel Foundation, Inc. will also help in ensuring the availability of supply side requirements in health and education, e.g. provision of chairs to public schools.

“We are pleased that we are finally formalizing the partnership with the DSWD. Our goals are so much in line with each other and we believe that we can help each other in bringing the best results for our target beneficiaries,” Hora Zobel said.

The E. Zobel Foundation, Inc. is a community based development organization that is committed to contribute in the transformation process of the Filipino poor and disadvantaged sectors of the society.  It offers various programs aiming to improve the quality of education particularly in Calatagan.  It also provides public school infrastructure development, learning support, teacher training and school health and nutrition program and engages in special programs such as livelihood, medical allowance, social pension and scholarship for selected beneficiaries in the municipality.

Criselda Cabangon David, a happy mother of two kids, is a full-time Sociologist at the City Government of Lucena, Quezon Province. She is currently the Managing Editor of Ang Diaryo Natin Sunday News, a weekly local community newspaper in the Philippines and an active member of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.