BALANGA CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Central Luzon and Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) have formalized their partnership through the signing of a Regional Memorandum of Agreement to strengthen the implementation of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
The agreement underscores both institutions’ commitment to providing technical assistance and livelihood training to empower communities and help reduce poverty in Bataan and the region.
DSWD Assistant Regional Director for Operations Armont Pecina, representing Regional Director Venus Rebuldela, explained that the partnership will give SLP beneficiaries access to BPSU’s facilities for training programs designed to enhance their competencies.
“This initiative will help equip our beneficiaries with the necessary skills to establish and sustain their livelihoods,” Pecina said.
BPSU President Ruby Santos-Matibag expressed full support for the collaboration, emphasizing the university’s dedication to social development.
“When the Sustainable Livelihood Program team first visited our university and presented the proposal for a potential partnership, I did not hesitate to say yes,” Santos-Matibag shared.
She also highlighted BPSU’s ongoing efforts in providing skills training, education, and healthcare-linking interventions to Persons Deprived of Liberty, which earned the university the prestigious Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award.
In addition, BPSU has expanded its Social Work program to make it more accessible to residents of Bataan and DSWD personnel, in support of professionalizing social work in the province.
Through this partnership, DSWD and BPSU aim to contribute to national efforts to reduce poverty, empower vulnerable sectors, and improve quality of life by implementing sustainable livelihood projects aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s socio-economic agenda.
The collaboration is expected to create more opportunities for marginalized communities by equipping them with the tools, knowledge, and support necessary to build sustainable livelihoods and enhance overall well-being, in line with the administration’s vision of a more resilient and inclusive society. (CLJD/RPQ, PIA Region 3-Bataan)