DSWD-6 Pag-abot Program, Regional Inter-Agency Committee Convene for Pilot Reach-Out Implementation

ILOILO CITY, June 19, 2025 — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VI, through its Pag-abot Program, together with the Regional Inter-Agency Committee (RIAC), convened to discuss plans and preparations for the pilot implementation of the program’s Reach-Out Initiative in Region VI.

Leading the orientation were Glenn Mark Laciban, Social Welfare Officer III, and Rozza Mae Caparas, Social Welfare Officer II, from the Pag-abot National Program Management Office (NPMO). They presented the core objective of the Pag-abot Program: to reach and provide holistic support to children, individuals, and families in street situations—ensuring access to social protection, livelihood opportunities, education, and healthcare services.

During the open forum, RIAC member representatives shared their insights, raised concerns, and offered recommendations to strengthen inter-agency collaboration and improve program implementation. In attendance were Alyssa April Sabidong from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Bernadeth V. Puertas from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Sheila S. Saplagio from the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), Elizabeth M. Hechanova from the Iloilo City Social Welfare and Development Office (SWDO), Hazel Mae G. Opren from the Iloilo Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), Christine G. Laurente from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Ana Marie Himatay along with Engr. Joebert Sabido from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The meeting was facilitated by the Innovations Division, headed by OIC-Chief Asuncion M. Santiago, with support from the Pag-abot Regional Program Management Office, Social Technology Section, Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP), and the Walang Gutom Program.

This collaborative effort marks a significant step toward the successful rollout of the Pag-abot Pilot Reach-Out Initiative, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring that no vulnerable individual or family is left behind./LCMondana