The Department of Social Welfare & Development requires couples who are under the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program to attend Family Development Sessions. This seminar gives couples better understanding on the topics about family planning, responsible parenthood and gender sensitivity.
Pantawid Pamilya is the conditional cash transfer program of the Philippine Government that invests in the education and health of poor children aged 0-18.
Mercedita Jabagat, regional director of DSWD Region 7, disclosed that FDS “[it] will provide opportunity for both spouses to be knowledgeable about family concerns on equality, equity, responsible parenthood and family planning.”
Jabagat clarified that the FDS is only limited on the said topics and does not cover solo parents; as stated under National Advisory Council Resolution Number 23.
Failure to attend the FDS without valid reason would mean non-compliance with the FDS conditionality for the corresponding month or a deduction of P500 in their monthly subsidy.
FDS is one of the conditions of Pantawid Pamilya that gathers grantees to discuss various development topics every month. It also serves as a venue to tackle pressing issues in the area.
The FDS is expected to have resource speakers from the Department of Health, Commission on Population, other related government agencies and civil society organizations.
Also, the NAC Resolution No. 23 is in line with the implementation of Republic Act 9710 of the Magna Carta of Women, Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Solo Parents Welfare Act, Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act and Family Code of the Philippines.
In a related development, DSWD 7 has successfully conducted series of Gender Sensitivity Training, which was participated by more than 200 male spouses and barangay captains in Central Visayas.
The purpose of the training was to achieve gender equality and women empowerment as it seeks to capacitate the male spouses to do their part in attending FDS.
Topics during the training include understanding gender concept, manifestation of gender bias, salient points of Republic Act 9262- Violence Against Women and their Children, Republic Act 7610- Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination, Republic Act 8353-Anti Rape Law of 1997 and Republic Act 9208- Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. (PR)
