On the occasion of DSWD’s 63rd founding anniversary this year, Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman personally handed the PANATA award consisting of a plaque and P25 thousand cash to Councilor Bienvenido Culve at DSWD office in Quezon City.
Councilor Culve, who chairs the city council’s committee on education, represented Mayor Romeo Pulmones in said awarding ceremony.
Besting other cities
“We are very glad that Pagadian emerged as winner of the PANATA award-LGU category, besting 127 cities all over the country,” Culve proudly said.
“With the city government’s continuous implementation of day care services, the city earned a nod from the evaluators and it was even considered the best implementer of day care services and programs,” the city councilor added.
The day care services are fully institutionalized in the city with the day care workers strictly following the guidelines set by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).
City Social Welfare and Development Officer Teresita Roldan said she did not expect that Pagadian would be chosen by the national evaluating team considering that “the city is not yet well-known in the country.”
“This is the first time that the city government through the CSWD won a national award. Ever since we haven’t received any prestigious award like this,” Roldan stated.
Faithful compliance
The faithful compliance of the Day Care Centers with the criteria set by the evaluators made the city government win the award, the city social welfare officer disclosed.
She said the bases of the evaluators’ assessment for the PANATA award are as follows: 1) At least 75% of Day Care Centers are duly accredited and the Day Care workers are duly licensed by the CSWD office, 2) the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) is functional, and 3) the Day Care workers’ honorarium is fair.
The city has a total of 54 accredited Day Care centers and 66 licensed Day Care workers. “Some barangays have more than one Day Care workers,” Roldan reported.
The BCPCs are also operating in the city’s 54 barangays.
Roldan said the Day Care center in Purok Makiangayon of barangay Balangasan was used by the DSWD evaluators as pilot area for the assessment. This is also where Ms. Josie Romarate, president of the Federated Day Care Workers Association, is based.
Committed and dedicated workers
Roldan said the Day Care workers are very active, committed and dedicated to their works despite the meager honoraria they are receiving from the barangay and city government. The satisfaction of having served the little children in their communities is more than the honoraria they get every month.
For her part, Romarate felt proud and happy that Pagadian City bagged the award.
“Malipayon kaayo kami nga mga Day Care Workers sa dakbayan nga gihatagan sa gobyerno ug pagtagad ang among mga kahago. Sa katapusan, nabayran ang among mga sakripisyo ug paningkamot,” the teary-eyed Romarate said.
(We, the Day Care workers are very happy that the government recognized our efforts. Finally, our sacrifices and efforts paid off.)
The award has inspired the Day Care workers to work very hard and continue to mold the preschoolers by giving them values education, Romarate declared.
5-star accreditation
Romarate said the Balangasan Day Care Center and Day Care workers successfully met the standards set for accreditation by the CSWD.
“Among na-maintain ang 5-star accreditation sa ikatulo nga higayon (We were able to maintain the 5-star accreditation for the third time),” Romarate proudly said.
She also thanked the city government, CSWDO, and Balangasan Barangay Council for actively supporting the ECCD program.
Appeal for granting of additional benefits
Having demonstrated their commitment and dedication to their work, the Day Care workers through their president, Josie Romarate, have appealed to the city government to continue giving them additional monetary incentives more especially that some of them will be retiring soon.
“We would be very happy if we are given some incentives by the city government for our livelihood activities when we retire or reach our ripe age,” Romarate suggested.
As molders of values and character of preschool children, the Day Care workers are looking forward to receiving the incentives they deserve from the city leadership in recognition of their priceless devotion to their work.