The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) paid tribute to local and international partner-institutions; local government units (LGUs); volunteers; and, individual partners through the “PaNata Ko sa Bayan” Awards held recently at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Conference Center as one of the highlights of the Department’s 65th anniversary celebration.

“We thank everyone for the continued support and we look forward to more opportunities of working with you as we strive to better the lives of the vulnerable sectors in the country,” DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said during the ceremony.

Among the categories in the “PaNata Ko sa Bayan” Awards are Gawad Paglilingkod sa Sambayanan (GAPAS), Gawad sa Makabagong Teknolohiya, Gawad Listahanan, Gawad Serbisyo, and the “Salamat Po” Award.

GAPAS is a commendation given to an LGU implementing DSWD programs and services, such as Day Care, Sustainable Livelihood, and Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS).

The winners in this category were:

• Province of Bataan – Model LGU implementing DSWD programs and services;
• Floridablanca, Pampanga – Model LGU implementing Day Care Services;
• Taytay, Palawan Seaweed Farmer’s Federation – Model Sustainable Livelihood Program Association; and,
• Veruela, Agusan del Sur – Model LGU implementing KALAHI-CIDSS.

On the other hand, the Gawad sa Makabagong Teknolohiya Award is given to an LGU, non-government organization (NGO) or DSWD Field Office that has introduced a new and effective social technology deemed as best practice based on the standards set by the Department. This year’s winner is Naga City EDUCARE Program – Early Education Program.

In his message, Naga City Mayor John Bongat cited the importance of early education being available to all children, including the poor.

“We plan to construct additional EDUCARE centers and also deploy teachers on foot to reach more poor children, especially in the remote areas,” Mayor Bongat added.

The Gawad Listahanan Award is presented to municipal, city, and provincial LGUs adopting the Listahanan targeting system and providing services and assistance to the Listahanan-identified poor families.

The winners were:

• Jaen, Nueva Ecija – Municipal Category;
• Baguio City – City Category; and,
• Iloilo Province – Provincial Category.

Starting this year, the Department has added another award category which is the Gawad Serbisyo Award. This is given to DSWD partners who have provided unwavering commitment in emergency cases particularly in times of disasters and calamities.

The recipients of this award were the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

The “Salamat Po” Award is a special commendation giving recognition to development partners, corporate institutions, donor-agencies, and volunteers for their valuable support to the Department in its delivery of services through the years.

Meriam P. Booc, volunteer at the Bayanihang Bayan Program of Region XII received the Best Volunteer (Individual Sub-Category) Award,while the SOS Children’s Village was awarded the Best Volunteer for the NGO Sub-Category.

For the Donor Corporate Institutions, the local awardees were Philippine Seven Foundation, Inc. (7-Eleven) and People’s Air Cargo.

The international development partner awardees were:

• Asian Development Bank (ADB);
• Australian Embassy – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT);
• Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC);
• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF);
• United Nations Populations Fund (UNFP);
• United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP); and,
• World Bank (WB).