The National Committee on the Filipino Family (NCFF) chaired by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) calls on all families nationwide to join various activities to celebrate National Family Week (NFW) which started on September 23 until September 29.

This year, the country marks 25 years of commemorating NFW every last week of September, as mandated by Proclamation No. 60, signed by former President Fidel V. Ramos on September 28, 1992.

In recognition of this milestone year, the theme for the 2017 celebration is “Tungo sa Maginhawa, Matatag, at Panatag na Pamilyang Pilipino”, which envisions better initiatives to strengthen the Filipino family in the new generation.

As a fitting start for the 25th year of the event, a short kick-off program will be held tomorrow, September 26, followed by an “Interfaith Program with Families” to be hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an active member of the NCFF.

The interfaith activity is an opportunity for families and family advocates from the different faith to come together  and discuss family related issues which they have experienced throughout the years.  Representatives from the Christian community, as well as the Muslim faith, will offer a prayer for all families.

Apart from the Interfaith Progam, a “Malayang Talakayan” and an Experts Forum will be held on September 28.

The Malayang Talakayan will be attended by more than 100 family program focal persons from the DSWD regional offices and from other national government agencies, as well as representatives from the Local Social Welfare and Development Offices (LSWDOs) and select Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

In the Experts’ Forum, on the other hand,  invited guests are family advocates from the academe, CSOs, government, and the media.   These include Dr. Mary Racelis of Ateneno de Manila University to discuss the “Perspective and Insights on the Present State of the Filipino family; Dr. Girlie Noche of the University of Asia and the Pacific; Prof. Felipe De Leon of the National Commission on the Culture and the Arts (NCCA); and Mr. Cris J. Icban of Manila Bulletin.

To culminate the weeklong event, a short program followed by an outreach activity in partnership with the Chito Madrigal Foundation will be held.   This will be  at the Consuelo “Chito” Madrigal Learning and Livelihood Village in Payatas, Quezon City, wherein some 160 poor families from nearby communities will benefit from the activities prepared by the foundation.

The NCFF will also recognize LGUs who had previously hosted National Family Week celebrations in the past years.  ###