DSWD conducts writing workshop for NGOs

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-7 conducted a two-day writing workshop dubbed as “Best Practice Writing Workshop” for all the members of their non-government  organization (NGO) partners.

Kerwin Macopia of the DWSD-7’s information office said this is DSWD’s way of showing their continued support for their NGO partners and learning networks in the delivery of social services and programs.

The members of Social Welfare and Development Learning Network (SWDL-Net) and Area-Based Standards Network (ABS-Net) were taught on how to document the best practices for their respective offices.

SWDL-Net and ABS-Net comprised  the NGOs in the region  that are registered and licensed by the DSWD to operate as a welfare agency.

DSWD-7’s capability building unit head Lilibeth Cabiara said that it is important to equip and teach their partners the right skills in order to properly document each organization’s good practices.

Cabiara added that the writing session is already the second series of workshop given to their partners. The first workshop was done late last year where participants expressed difficulty in preparing and packaging their stories, she said.

Communication experts Jaybee Binghay, Aileen Lariba, Simeon Remata III and Kerwin Macopia from DSWD’s 7 Social Marketing Unit served as speaker-facilitator for the said two-day training workshop.

The participants had a positive feedback after the two-day workshop according to Macopia. They considered their lessons as very useful to them being neophytes in documentation.

Macopia added that the participants also learned how to improve the profiles or stories of their clients, especially those in need of financial assistance for surgical operation, emergency cases, scholars, parents and other beneficiaries of their respective programs, so that they could win the support of their donors.

Among the relevant topics discussed in the two-day workshop include quick English grammar review as well as words commonly used and misused. It also highlighted story angling, outlining, writing the lead paragraph and incorporating the tip on choosing the right photos to compliment the written stories, Macopia said.  (FREEMAN)