Muntinlupa City- In line with the celebration of the National Family Week, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program celebrates its own National Family Day this coming Sunday, October 1.

The event will gather more than 1000 participants composed of regional winners of the 2017 National Search for Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya together with selected family-beneficiaries of the program in the National Capital Region, and invited guests. Highlight of this event will be the awarding of the 2017 Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya National Winner.

This year’s top five (5) regional finalists competing for the grand award hail from San Francisco, Quezon; Leon, Iloilo; Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental; Maria, Siquijor; and Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte. A special award as “Most Innovative Family” will also be given to one of the regional winners.

With the theme “Pamilyang Pilipino: Handang tumawid sa pag-unlad”, communicates the family-beneficiaries’ ability and confidence to lift themselves from poverty. It emphasizes the perseverance of the beneficiaries supported by with the programs and services of the Department and its partner agencies and organizations.

“The Department strongly believes in the capacity of these families to cope with poverty and gradually improve their own lives. We also remain committed to helping them in their efforts by providing them with the appropriate interventions so they will not slide back to their previous poverty levels”, said DSWD Officer-in-Charge Emmanuel A Leyco.

The event will also be participated by other government agencies and private organizations that will provide food, services and supplies. Among the agencies participating are the Department of National Defense (DND), and the Department of Health (DOH) which will provide medical and dental services.

David Salon will give free hair-cuts; the Philippine Long Distance Telecommunications (PLDT) Company will give family packs, CDO Foodsphere Inc. and Yakult on the other hand will provide canned goods and drinks respectively.

The Pantawid Pamilya is a human development program that invests in the health and education of poor households primarily of children 18 and below. Currently there are 4.4 million households who are part of the program.  Pantawid Pamilya is only one of the social protection strategies of the national government implemented by DSWD.