Partnership and coordination are the factors that makes a program succeed.

This is what
happened in my Radyo Journal program aired every Saturday at 2:00 PM over Radyo Pilipinas Iloilo, 585
KHZ AM Band also on Facebook Live at Radyo Pilipinas Iloilo FB page. The program is a review for the
week of my coverages of events, news gathered, and interviews conducted around Western Visayas
which started in 2000. Through the modern and digital technology my program presentation evolved.

It was year 2021 when Montesa Caoyonan of the Department of Social Welfare and Development
VI and I discussed the success stories of the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program, a
poverty reduction strategy that provides grants to extremely poor households to improve their health,
nutrition and education. Caoyonan convinced me to interview and listen how the government
intervention has helped changed the life of the beneficiaries. She told me to make some air time in my
program over the radio and Facebook live for their inspiring stories to be heard by our audience. With
the way she sells and presents the impact of the program I didn’t had a second thought not to accept
the deal. I readily asked her to schedule the beneficiary of 4Ps to be interviewed live on my Saturday
program and it became a regular guesting.

During interviews the beneficiaries shared their sacrifices when they were not yet enrolled in the
program, telling me how hard their lives were, how they struggled and how they survived. At times,
tears fall from their eyes, full of emotions, sadness overflowing but at the end, they shared that the
program has helped them a lot in sending their children to school, and avail of health services, while its
Family Development Sessions (FDS) gave them a positive outlook in life.

Now, my week is not complete without interviewing the beneficiary of 4Ps, because I wanted to
hear inspiring stories that also inspires my audience and it increased my listenership every Saturday, and
I am also learning from them. Thank you to Montesa Caoyonan, you are very accessible, accommodating
and always ready to provide me the interviewee for the program. It is my privilege and honor to
interview the beneficiaries of DSWD 4Ps.

SIGNED: ELENA ‘Bing’ PABIONA

Broadcast Program Producer Announcer II
Anchor/RADYO JOURNAL Program
Radyo Pilipinas Iloilo

The Philippine News Agency (PNA) Antique Bureau is a partner agency of the Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VI here in the province. As the Bureau
Chief of PNA and President of the Antique Capitol Press Corps, I had the opportunity to closely
work with Montesa G. Caoyonan in terms of press work.
Caoyonan is known to me to have a strong commitment in her work and is very facilitative
especially when it concerns to the information need of the media. Even prior to her joining the
DSWD, she was already known to maintain a good relationship with her fellow media
colleagues. Her positive trait had been an asset to the DSWD making her as worthy recipient of
the Praise Award.

Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay

PNA Antique Bureau
Ma’am Montesa is one of the most approachable employees in DSWD FO VI. She is a great
worker and very creative in writing stories that awaken interest and capture the hearts of the
readers. She shows a laudable work ethic admirable as an Information Officer. When asked for
technical assistance particularly as a Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Technical Working
Group (TWG) member, she never hesitates to share her knowledge and expertise especially in
drafting foreword and branding designs. She always shows enthusiasm and eagerness in
featuring stories and share clear and valuable information that reaches the target audience.
Ma’am Montesa has become my co-worker, my mentor, supporter and close friend when I was
a Training Specialist 1 of the Pantawid RPMO wherein I always tapped her to be our resource
person on Basic Writing, Effective Communication, and How to Face Media Interviews every
time we have Parent Leaders Level II Training regionwide.
Now, that I am a newly hired Indigenous People’s focal person, Ma’am Montesa helps me
familiarize everything about 4Ps including the social marketing and advocacy campaigns since I
know that she has been very supportive of IPs activities, particularly with the previous IPs focal.
I am looking forward to more fruitful years working with Ma’am Tisay.

SIGNED:

Maylyn Devera
IP Focal Person
Pantawid RPMO
Long before she joined DSWD 6, I have known Montesa Grino-Caoyonan as Reporter of Panay
News and The News Today, our local publications here, and she has impressed me with her
warm, friendly, and helpful attitude towards her fellow journalists. When she handled the
Search for Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya and later, the Search for Salaysay ng Buhay ng
Pamilyang Pantawid, I got the chance to work closely with her being one of the judges of the
search.

During those judging periods, Ms. Caoyonan has demonstrated competence as the person
assigned to handle the conduct of the regional search/evaluation. Her knowledge of the
program is a huge contribution in guiding evaluators during the assessment/judging. She sees
to it that judges understand the contest and what the agency wants to achieve through it. Her
patience, flexibility and ready to assist attitude further makes the evaluation lighter and easier
for the judges.

Further, her writing experience and skills are valuable not only in the documentation of entries
of the search to be submitted to the national evaluators but also in the production of other IEC
materials that communicated the programs and services of the agency to the target audience.
Her press releases are source of timely and accurate information by the local media, including
us in the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

Together with her team in the Social Marketing Section, they saw to it that the agency’s
initiatives, programs, and messages have a proactive presence on the social media platforms to
provide access to accurate information especially during the pandemic. Ms. Caoyonan is a
dynamic person and knows how to engage and motivate partners, particularly members of local
media to participate and provide information support to the initiatives, activities and programs
of DSWD 6. She is a huge asset to the agency and with great pride and much enthusiasm, I am
recommending Ms. Caoyonan as a deserving candidate for the Pusong May Malasakit sa
Larangan ng Pampublikong Impormasyon category of the 2022 DSWD PRAISE Awards.

LILIBETH A. FRENCH
Manager
PIA-Iloilo Information Center

We've been together in the media industry covering City Hall and other government agencies
for more than five years that's why when Montesa has transferred to DSWD, she already knew
what are the information needed of the media. Being a former media practitioner was her
greatest advantage when she entered the government service particularly as 4Ps Information
Officer since she already established media rapport. Through this, it is easy for her to ask for
media support from us on her different social marketing activities and advocacy campaign.
Her "FDS On Air" radio program which is being aired on our radio station brought an impact on
the lives of the 4Ps beneficiaries while the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through her
initiative, many of our listeners even non-beneficiaries are expressing their gratefulness over
our FB page because despite the pandemic they still have the chance to be educated on the
different topics which could be helpful to them as well as to be compliant with the conditions of
the program.
As a media partner, I am honored to be recognized by the DSWD every year for almost five
years already through its "Media Pasasalamat" funded by the Pantawid advocacy fund. I did not
mind that my exemplary contribution to them especially sharing Tips on Facing Media
Interviews during Parent Leaders Level II Training, positive write-ups, and accommodation of
the press releases were valued and appreciated by the Agency. This has strengthened
partnership and linkages with us.
As a former colleague, I know Montesa as flexible and willing to extend time if necessary just to
finish the tasks that were assigned to her. She is also a risk taker when a thing seems not
working on its first plan. Always she has a plan B and C in searching for interviewees and
reliable sources of information. She always exercises fairness and unjust when taking both sides
of the stories. She makes sure that every side has its version.
What unique to her is, when everyone seems to have the same headlines, she always has an
opposite angle that catches the interest of every reader. Until now, she has the ability and skill
of being a good writer. Her written stories captured the public and readers' interest which
made a great impact and somehow change the lives of the beneficiaries. Her write-ups won
several national awards and these were picked-up, published, and shared by the different
media outlets.
JOEL FRANCO
Senior Field Reporter
RMN-ILOILO