MSSD execs visit program beneficiaries, projects in MagSur

MAGUINDANAO DEL SUR — As part of the BARMM Ministry of Social Services and Development’s (MSSD) inaugural Management Committee Meeting for the 1st Quarter of 2024, executive officials, provincial and section heads, and focal persons of the Ministry visited the program beneficiaries and projects of MSSD in the eight municipalities of Maguindanao del Sur on June 6, 2024.

The areas visited during the simultaneous field activities were the municipalities of Ampatuan, Buluan, Datu Hofer, Datu Paglas, Datu Piang, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Mamasapano, and Shariff Aguak.

MSSD executives, including Minister Atty. Raissa Jajurie, Deputy Minister Ustadza Nur-Ainee Tan–Lim, Director General Atty. Mohammad Muktadir Estrella, and Director Zoraya Masakal, personally led the delegation of the Ministry’s workforce during the “Kamustahan Sessions” with the beneficiaries.

These sessions served as a platform to directly engage MSSD key officials in meaningful conversations with the beneficiaries to gain an in-depth understanding of their vulnerabilities, challenges, intervention journeys, and the impact of the Ministry’s services, as well as the assistance that can be further augmented.

“During field visits, we will be able to engage with the beneficiaries in the communities as we check on how the implementation of the programs on the ground is going. We want to see best practices. We also want to raise questions and reflect on how we do it in our own field offices. The idea is to learn from each other and implement those lessons,” Minister Jajurie stated.

By listening to their stories, MSSD seeks to enhance its social protection programs and services to ensure they effectively address the needs of the clients being served.

Among the clients visited were beneficiaries of various MSSD programs such as the Bangsamoro Critical Assistance to Indigents in Response to Emergency Situations (B-CARES) Program, Kalinga para sa may Kapansanan Program, Angat Bangsamoro: Kabataan tungo sa Karunungan (ABaKa) Program, Kupkop Program, and Unlad Pamilyang Bangsamoro Program.

Minister Jajurie also visited the satellite office of the MSSD Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU) in Brgy. Poblacion, Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur, and had direct conversations with the walk-in clients to gather insights about the medical assistance they availed.

MSSD executives also visited the housing units under the Ministry’s Bahay Program in the municipalities of Datu Hofer and Ampatuan. Site visits were conducted at assisted child development centers under the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Program in Shariff Aguak, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, and Datu Hofer.

Moiser Luguilem Pananggilan, a resident of Brgy. Manongkaling in Mamasapano, Maguindanao del Sur, and a micro-entrepreneur, was one of the livelihood assistance beneficiaries of MSSD’s Unlad Pamilyang Bangsamoro Program who were visited by the executives.

Before his inclusion in the program, Pananggilan only had his shoemaking business to support his family. Upon receiving the seed capital fund worth PhP 15,000 and skills training in 2022, he expanded his livelihood to include appliance repair. These success indicators qualified him for the scale-up phase of the program, and he received additional livelihood support worth PhP 20,000.

Based on the findings during the field visit, Pananggilan’s income increased as he currently earns between PhP 15,000 to PhP 20,000 per month. This transition provided him with new opportunities to further grow his income and provide for his family’s needs.

“Our business was small before. If it’s not because of MSSD BARMM’s program, our livelihood and income would not be like this. I am very grateful to the Bangsamoro Government for this livelihood opportunity. I hope more people like me will be helped and will have the same success in their businesses as well,” Pananggilan expressed.

Another beneficiary visited by the MSSD key personnel was Janice B. Aliman, one of the recipients of housing units under the Ministry’s Bahay Program in Brgy. Limpango, Datu Hoffer, Maguindanao del Sur.

During the session, Aliman shared how hard it was for them to be homeless for several years because her family was among the affected Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities displaced since 2017 due to local armed conflict. She expressed her gratitude for their new home.

“Thank you very much to MSSD BARMM because we have a new house. Most importantly, we have a fresh start and new hope in our lives,” Aliman stated.

Their stories were among the various insights that surfaced during the simultaneous sessions, which highlighted the significant milestones in the lives of the beneficiaries through the programs of MSSD BARMM.

During the field activity, the MSSD workforce also paid courtesy visits to the provincial and local government units.

A debriefing activity was also facilitated after the field visit for the participating employees. They also presented their findings and provided recommendations to ensure the continuous improvement of the beneficiaries’ well-being and the long-term impact of MSSD’s interventions for the clients and sites visited.

The said field visits forge stronger connections and interventions as well as pave the way for more effective and efficient social service delivery across the Bangsamoro region.