FEATURE article
By:
Elson C. Ledesma
ZAMBOANGA
CITY,
July 10 (PIA)- - It
has always been said that “the best way to help others is to help them rise
from adversities.”
Thus, it is made proven by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-IX) in its pursuit in bettering the lives of the deportees whose faith is in the brink of breaking and healing their wounds brought by heartrending trauma.
Aimed at reintegrating the deportees, repatriates and irregular overseas Filipino workers back to their places of origin, the Reintegration Program is one of many ways on how these ill-fated individuals can cope with their misfortunes and help them to realize their dreams for their families.
The program basically discourages the recruits from using the ‘backdoor’ system in sailing to countries like Malaysia and encourages them to be legally compliant for an even working experience.
To note, this program started as an experimental study in Zamboanga City that commenced last January 2009 and ended last June 2010 which was found effective and yielded positive results.
Last January 2012, this program was regionally implemented with the help of the Local Government units (LGUs) for its localization. The said program boasts multitude of services any deportee can avail which comprise of the following:
*Livelihood Assistance- through the Self- Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K) program, families of the deportees can avail cash loans with no interest to start their small-scale business for their sustainable and socio-economic development. The agency through its social workers assesses the marketability of their enterprises to ensure progress out from the loan granted. The program can lend for a minimum of P5, 000.00 and maximum of P10, 000.00 payable.
*Educational Assistance- to help the dependents and deportees themselves who are unschooled. This aid adopts the Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education (DepEd) with no age limit. It is implemented in collaboration with other government line agencies such as the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), National Statistics Office (NSO), local government units through the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development (OCSWD) and Public Employment Service Office (PESO) and other private establishments.
*Skills Training/ Capacity-Building- this service is intended to upgrade the skills of deportees. These deportees, having undergone the training, can likely be hired contractually for carpentry, welding, and plumbing for the renovation of DSWD centers and offices.
*Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA)- this assistance aims to help the deportees whose shelters are dilapidated and uncomfortable through house repair with a P5,000.00 cash grant.
*Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS)- it is purely for those families of deportees who direly need financial aids in the forms of Medical and Burial Assistance depending upon their family needs.
*Health/Medical Assistance- it is implemented through the efforts of local government units and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) offices. As of now, there are 41 families who are enrolled as beneficiaries with 35 families sponsored by Mayor Celso L. Lobregat and the rest shouldered by the DSWD office.
In an interview, the program implementer Almalyn Baiting revealed the statistics of beneficiaries of the pilot test made in Zamboanga City.
She disclosed that there were 44 families who benefited from Capacity-building Assistance; 32 from Livelihood assistance; 24 from Job Placement; 18 from Educational Assistance; 11 in AICS; 10 in ESA and 50 from Psychosocial Intervention. This intervention was made through counseling, family enrichments and camps.
She also advised other interested and qualified prospective beneficiaries to submit pertinent requirements such as their travel documents, barangay clearance and Certificate of Indigency to avail any of the assistances mentioned. Repatriates and irregular OFWs can submit passports, travel documents, and Certificates of Indigency as their documentary requirements. ### (JPA/ECL- WMSU-MassCom Journ 4/DSWD/PIA9-ZBST)
Thus, it is made proven by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-IX) in its pursuit in bettering the lives of the deportees whose faith is in the brink of breaking and healing their wounds brought by heartrending trauma.
Aimed at reintegrating the deportees, repatriates and irregular overseas Filipino workers back to their places of origin, the Reintegration Program is one of many ways on how these ill-fated individuals can cope with their misfortunes and help them to realize their dreams for their families.
The program basically discourages the recruits from using the ‘backdoor’ system in sailing to countries like Malaysia and encourages them to be legally compliant for an even working experience.
To note, this program started as an experimental study in Zamboanga City that commenced last January 2009 and ended last June 2010 which was found effective and yielded positive results.
Last January 2012, this program was regionally implemented with the help of the Local Government units (LGUs) for its localization. The said program boasts multitude of services any deportee can avail which comprise of the following:
*Livelihood Assistance- through the Self- Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K) program, families of the deportees can avail cash loans with no interest to start their small-scale business for their sustainable and socio-economic development. The agency through its social workers assesses the marketability of their enterprises to ensure progress out from the loan granted. The program can lend for a minimum of P5, 000.00 and maximum of P10, 000.00 payable.
*Educational Assistance- to help the dependents and deportees themselves who are unschooled. This aid adopts the Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education (DepEd) with no age limit. It is implemented in collaboration with other government line agencies such as the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), National Statistics Office (NSO), local government units through the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development (OCSWD) and Public Employment Service Office (PESO) and other private establishments.
*Skills Training/ Capacity-Building- this service is intended to upgrade the skills of deportees. These deportees, having undergone the training, can likely be hired contractually for carpentry, welding, and plumbing for the renovation of DSWD centers and offices.
*Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA)- this assistance aims to help the deportees whose shelters are dilapidated and uncomfortable through house repair with a P5,000.00 cash grant.
*Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS)- it is purely for those families of deportees who direly need financial aids in the forms of Medical and Burial Assistance depending upon their family needs.
*Health/Medical Assistance- it is implemented through the efforts of local government units and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) offices. As of now, there are 41 families who are enrolled as beneficiaries with 35 families sponsored by Mayor Celso L. Lobregat and the rest shouldered by the DSWD office.
In an interview, the program implementer Almalyn Baiting revealed the statistics of beneficiaries of the pilot test made in Zamboanga City.
She disclosed that there were 44 families who benefited from Capacity-building Assistance; 32 from Livelihood assistance; 24 from Job Placement; 18 from Educational Assistance; 11 in AICS; 10 in ESA and 50 from Psychosocial Intervention. This intervention was made through counseling, family enrichments and camps.
She also advised other interested and qualified prospective beneficiaries to submit pertinent requirements such as their travel documents, barangay clearance and Certificate of Indigency to avail any of the assistances mentioned. Repatriates and irregular OFWs can submit passports, travel documents, and Certificates of Indigency as their documentary requirements. ### (JPA/ECL- WMSU-MassCom Journ 4/DSWD/PIA9-ZBST)