Zamboanga City ? 70 delegates composed of officers and members of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region Federation of Family Welfare Committee (FFWC) and Department of Labor and Employment IX (DOLE9) headed to Tagum City, Davao del Norte to participate in the 2nd Mindanao Family Welfare Summit last September 21 and 22, 2017.

The Family Welfare Summit, gathering more than 600 participants from all over Mindanao, is organized by DOLE 11 and the Federation of Family Welfare Stakeholders (FFWS) with the theme “Strengthening the Engagement of Family Welfare Program for Workforce Advancement.”

Regional Director Ofelia B. Domingo shared that the primary objective of the Summit is to share best practices and replicate outstanding accomplishments by the member companies as an advocacy of corporate social responsibilities through the DOLE’s Family Welfare Program (FWP).

Gracing the event was DOLE Undersecretary Joel B. Maglunsod, DOLE Regional Directors with their FWP Focals, FFWS Federation Presidents headed by FFWS XI President Ceasar B. Opena and executives from the Local Government Unit of Tagum City and the Province of Davao del Norte.

Other than sharing of best practices, several speakers were invited to talk on three main topics relevant to Family Welfare namely Spirituality in the Workplace discussed by Father Fernando Suarez of Mother Mary of the Poor, Positive Enforcement of FWP and Its Challenges by DOLE VI Regional Director Johnson G. Canete on the topic, and Mindfulness ? Based Stress Reduction by Dr. Parkash T. Mansukhani from Davao Doctors Hospital.

The following day, participants were taken to selected companies in Region 11 to benchmark on their best practices. These companies are NAKAYAMA Technology Corporation, COCA-COLA FEMSA, TADECO, and Franklin Baker.

Director Ma. Kairna Perida-Trayvilla of the DOLE Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns lauded the Federated Family Welfare Committees for the Visayas and Mindanao Clusters. Zampen’s FFWC and DOLE 9 were awarded with citations for being active FWP Advocates. Meanwhile, FWP Pioneering Initiatives Citations to Panay Federation of Family Welfare Committees, Inc. VI and Northern Mindanao Federation of Family Welfare Committees, Inc. X for Visayas and Mindanao Cluster, respectively.