Left Photo: DSWD Undersecretary for Policy and Plans Group Florita Villar, DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo, GT Foundation Executive Director and Metrobank Foundation President Aniceto M. Sobrepeña, and GTFI Deputy Executive Director and Metrobank Foundation Executive Director Nicanor L. Torres sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the conduct of the 2017 Bags of Blessing Project.
Right Photo: Ceremonial turnover of the Bags of Blessing food pack to a family beneficiary from the City of Manila.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo led today’s signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) of the Bags of Blessing Project (BoB) with Metro Bank Foundation. The signing was held at the DSWD National Capital Region (DSWD) in Legarda, Manila.

Sec. Taguiwalo signed the MOA with GT Foundation Inc. (GTFI) Executive Director and Metrobank Foundation President Aniceto M. Sobrepena, and GTFI Deputy Executive Director and  Metrobank Foundation  Executive Director Nicanor L. Torres, Jr.

The Bags of Blessing  Project is a nationwide gift-giving project of Metrobank wherein 10,000 bags filled with food items (grocery items and snack food for children) worth P1,000 will be distributed to 10,000 poorest families listed in the DSWD’s Listahanan but are not beneficiaries of the Pantawid ng Pamilyang Pilipino (4Ps) program of the DSWD.

The following are the project’s distribution sites:

a) Metro Manila: Taguig City, Makati City, Manila City, Pasay City, Marikina City, Quezon City, Navotas City, Caloocan City

b) Provinces:

1)Luzon: Imus, Cavite; Balanga, Bataan; Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Baguio City

2)Visayas: Iloilo City; Cebu City; Palo, Leyte

3) Mindanao: Davao City; Zamboanga City; Cotabato City.

There will be 1,000 beneficiaries from the City of Manila and another 1,000 from Davao City, while for the rest of the sites, there will be 500 beneficiaries.

The distribution schedule is from January 28 to February 2, 2017.

The validation of the list of poor but non-4Ps beneficiaries provided by the Listahanan with Field Offices’ staff and barangay officers are currently ongoing except for Field Offices VIII and XII whose validations have already been completed.

Social workers from the concerned barangays provided augmentation support to the Field Offices’ staff to fast track the evaluation.

Sec. Taguiwalo will lead the actual launch of the BOB project at the start of the Chinese New Year on January 28 at Taguig Lakeshore Hall C6 Road, 393 C-6 Lower Bicutan, Taguig City.

“We are glad for this partnership with Metrobank Foundation. The Bags of Blessing Project is a very worthy activity which will benefit many impoverished Filipino families. We hope that other institutions will consider implementing similar campaigns and projects to reach out to the less fortunate and to share with them what we can,” Sec. Taguiwalo said.

The welfare chief expressed hope that DSWD’s partnership with Metrobank Foundation and the GTFI will not end with the Bags of Blessing Project but will continue and lead to similar projects.

“There are many important and pressing issues and concerns that affect the Filipino people. The Bags of Blessing Project is one way to reach out to many more Filipinos who are not covered by Pantawid Pamilya whom we also want to assist and provide for. We are most grateful for the help of Metrobank Foundation, and we look forward to more partnerships,” she said. #