As part of its continued advocacy to strengthen the Filipino family, the National Committee on the Filipino Family (NCFF), chaired by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is enjoining the public to celebrate the 26th National Family Week from September 23-29, 2018.

The National Family Week is a yearly celebration held every fourth week of September pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 60 issued on September 28, 1992. The event seeks to strengthen family unity and relationship through meaningful celebration and promotion of Filipino values.

This year’s celebration will carry the theme “Tungo sa Maginhawa, Matatag, at Panatag na Pamilyang Pilipino,” which envisions better initiatives to strengthen the Filipino family in the new generation.

In support of the Family week celebration, the NCFF, in partnership with the Young Women’s Christian Association Founder’s Federation of the Philippines (YWCAFFP), will hold the 6th Annual Family Conference on September 22 at the Hube Hall of the YWCA of Manila at Ermita, Manila.

The conference will feature the theme “Building a Solid Financial Foundation for the Filipino Family,” which aims to educate family members on the wise management of resources to secure the family’s economic stability.

The NCFF will also join the official kick-off ceremony of the Family Week Celebration to be led by the DSWD National Capital Region (NCR) on September 24 at the Carmona Sports Complex in Makati City.

The kick-off activity will showcase a parade of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) family-beneficiaries.  After which, a program that features a talk on “Strengthening the Filipino Family Amidst Challenges and Threats” will be held.

Social Media Advocacy on #Pinoyfamgoals 

The National Family Week will celebration will also be highlighted by  the launching of the #Pinoyfamgoals Social Media Advocacy Campaign of the NCFF, which aims to increase the awareness of the public on the importance of strengthening family relations.

Using their social media accounts, the DSWD, together with other NCFF members, encourage the public to post photos on their social media profiles that reflect their family goals and activities.

Apart from the family conference and the launching of the social media campaign, an Interfaith Family Forum and Calligraphy Exhibit will also be held on September 26 to be hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an active member of the NCFF.

The event will feature a calligraphy exhibit and workshop in the morning and an interfaith forum in the afternoon. It will be held at the Cultural Hall of the Aurora Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City.

Topics for discussion during the forum include: Mothers and Fathers: Challenges in a Changing World by Uniharmony Partners Manila; The Role of the Muslim Woman in the Family by Dr. Tandis Taghavi Jafarimalak of the Cultural Section of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran-Manila; and Ensuring Work-Family Balance: Family Values and the Importance of Family by Elder Raul Villanueva, Philippines Area Seventy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A strong family is important

“Families are important to our society as they are the foundation of our nation. They play a big role in building a solid and united society and in its continued development. It is within the family that character is developed; moral and spiritual attitudes are molded; and values of peace, tolerance, and social responsibility are formed. Our advocacy in the NCFF is for families to strive to be maginhawamatatag, and panatag in midst of the different challenges faced by the Filipino family today,” DSWD Secretary Virginia N. Orogo said. ###