KALAHI-CIDSS Region 3: Handa nang simulan ang Barangay Development Planning ngayong taon

Subic, Zambales – Bilang paghahanda sa Barangay Development Planning, pinangunahan ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 3 sa pamamagitan ng Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) katuwang ang Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 3, at ang Local Government Academy (LGA) nagsagawa ng limang araw na regional training of trainers para sa Barangay Development Planning.

Ang pagsasanay na ito ay sumaklaw sa lahat ng walong (8) munisipalidad mula sa Region 3 na kabilang sa National Community Driven Development Program (NCDDP)  program na may 171 Barangay. Bahagi ito ng estratehiya para ma-institutionalize ang Community Driven Development sa lokal na pamahalaan.

Nilalayon ng aktibidad na bumuo at magsanay ng mga regional trainer na magiging responsable para sa pagsasagawa ng Municipal Roll-out ng Barangay Development Planning.

Ito’y dinaluhan ng mga kawani ng lokal na pamahalaan ng mga munisipyong parte ng programa ng KALAHI-CIDSS. Kabilang ang mga Municipal Local Government Operations Officer, Municipal Planning Officer, Municipal Budget Officer, at Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer. 

Binigyan diin naman ni Assistant Regional Director For Administration Maribel M. Blanco, ang importansya ng pagkakaroon ng programang KALAHI-CIDSS sa pagpapaunlad  at pagpapalakas sa mga komunidad,  “Sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng oportunidad sa mga serbisyo at makilahok sa mga inklusibong lokal na pagpaplano, pagbabadyet, at pagpapatupad ng mga proyekto na mapapakinabangan ng kanilang komunidad.” 

Inaasahang sisimulan ang pagsasanay sa barangay sa unang linggo ng Hulyo ngayong taon.



DSWD launches new, improved Sustainable Livelihood Program

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian (2nd from left),  joined by (from left to right)  SM Foundation Incorporated Executive Director Deborah Sy, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, and SM Supermalls President Steven Tan, leads the ribbon cutting for the official launch of the new and improved Sustainable Livelihood Program on Friday, (May 26), at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian (right), accompanied by Assistant  Secretary for Specialized Programs under Operations Group Florentino Y. Loyola Jr., unveils the new logo of the Sustainable Livelihood Program as part of the grand launch of its Five-year Livelihood Sustainability Plan.
 
 

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) launched the new and improved Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) to ensure that its livelihood interventions are innovative and remain responsive to the needs of its participants.

During the grand launch of “Sibol: the New SLP” on Friday (May 26), at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian introduced to the public, partners and other stakeholders the integrated five-year livelihood sustainability plan of the program, that will further enhance its implementation to become more effective and relevant.

Sibol, as the new brand of the program, represents the step-by-step growth in the journey of SLP participants toward an improved well-being with equitable access to livelihood assets and resources.

“Like a plant, we grow with you. We make sure that we plant the seed, we nurture it, we water it, we watch it grow, and we watch it turn into something bigger than what it was. Iyon ang (That’s the) bottom line,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

The Secretary also mentioned that improvement in the guidelines of SLP implementation was made as part of the Department’s effort to empower its intended clients.

“We want to make sure that our development programs are not one-shot deals – that we provide the cash and we say goodbye. But rather, we want to make sure it is sustainable and that we partner, monitor and grow the economic enterprise with you,” the DSWD chief said.

The enhanced program aims to expedite the implementation process, rationalize cost parameters, and provide new training or capacity-building activities.

Achieving sustainable livelihood

Under the new framework, program participants will need a longer incubation period of five years, and will be provided with intensified capability-building activities and additional livelihood incentives.

SLP participants, during the first year of the program implementation (Punla), will be prepared and cultivated with the basic knowledge and skills in starting up their own micro-enterprise or in securing employment.

The next two years (Usbong and Sibol) will be focused on maintaining their livelihood become operational and able to secure positive gross sales and net income.

In year four (Yabong), program participants will be expected to prosper and bring their products to a wider and multi-faceted market.

“We want to ensure that we are your partner in growing that small business into a formal enterprise,” the Secretary pointed out.

The culminating phase (Ani) of the sustainability plan is the actual graduation of the participants, wherein they will be provided with a livelihood grant and incentive worth not more than Php 250,000 per association.

Strengthening program’s sustainability with partners

During his presentation, Secretary Gatchalian called for the support of the local government units (LGUs), private sector, partner agencies and other stakeholders in strengthening the sustainability of the new SLP.

“Hopefully, everybody will help us grow this vision together,” the DSWD secretary  said.

The SM Foundation reaffirmed their 3-decade-long public-private partnership with the DSWD in promoting a sustainable livelihood for the poor and marginalized and providing a platform for small-scale business owners, such as SLP participants, to introduce their products to a wider market.

“We have worked hand in hand with you in mobilizing trade fairs and sustainable agriculture programs under Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan,” Mr. Steven Tan, President of SM Supermalls said.

Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano also expressed support for the sustainable livelihood initiatives of the DSWD.

“Let’s transform the lives of the economically deprived and socially vulnerable,” the Pasay City Mayor said.

Various partners such as the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) were present to express support for the sustainability plan of SLP during the consignment ceremony.

Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations from different regions set up their booths at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall to showcase their local products during the grand launch of the Sibol Program.
Aside from the official launch of the new SLP, the event also provided a venue for the SLP Associations to introduce their products to a wider and multi-faceted market.

Program participants from Regions I-XII, National Capital Region (NCR), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Caraga Region, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) exhibited their products including hand-crafted bags, fans, hats, traditional costumes, furniture,  local delicacies, spread and crops, among others.

Through the SLP bazaar, the brands and products of the program participants were made visible and known to the public.

The SLP continues to be the Department’s lead livelihood capability-building program for poor, vulnerable, and marginalized households and communities, that helps improve their socio-economic conditions through accessing and acquiring necessary assets to engage in and maintain thriving livelihoods. #



DSWD inks deal with SM Supermalls for more accessible social services

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian (right) and SM Supermalls President Steven T. Tan sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) expanding the SM Government Services Express to include the DSWD in 21 locations nationwide. The MOA signing was held at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall, Friday (May 26).
 
 

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) sealed a partnership with SM Supermalls to make social welfare programs and services more accessible to its clientele nationwide.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and SM Supermalls President Steven Tan signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Friday, May 26, at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall, allowing the Department to utilize the facilities of SM for its social protection initiatives and other activities.

“SM and DSWD have been partners for a long time. We share that same core value of empowering our citizens, especially the most vulnerable ones, in trying to fish for themselves,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

Through this MOA, the DSWD will be able to open satellite offices in SM Malls’ Government Service Express Centers in 21 SM branches across 15 regions in the country and the Department is authorized to use SM event places and spaces for free.

“Today we sign the Memorandum of Agreement with the DSWD that will expand our Government Services Express nationwide to make DSWD programs and services more accessible to Filipinos through satellite offices in our malls, starting with 21 locations,” Mr. Tan  said.

The agreement will also provide a venue for the operations of DSWD, including prepositioning of goods for disaster response as well as facilitating clearances and issuances.

Aside from using its Business Centers, SM also agreed to allow the use of its designated areas within the vicinity of its malls for social marketing events and exhibits of the DSWD.

The DSWD, as provided under the MOA, will also be able to use the existing channels of SM for its information dissemination

The agreement for the free use SM facilities and platforms for DSWD’s operations  will be in effect until July 2026.

The MOA between DSWD and SM provides a more accessible platform for realizing the DSWD’s mandate to bring its services closer to the poor and vulnerable.  #



DSWD welcomes PBBM’s E.O. designating Secretary Gatchalian chair of Zero Hunger Task Force

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday (May 22) welcomed the designation of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian as chairperson of the re-organized Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has issued an executive order reorganizing the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger, as 2.7 million Filipino families continue to experience hunger during the first quarter of the year, according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Station.

The DSWD Secretary was designated as Head of the Zero Hunger Task Force following the issuance of Executive Order No. 27 series of 2023 on May 18, which recalibrated and reorganized the Task Force.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin signed Executive Order 27 for the President amending E) 101 issued by the previous administration in January 2020.

Under the new EO, the President designated the secretary of the DSWD as the task force’s chairperson. The executive director of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) and the secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) will serve as co-chairperson and vice chairperson, respectively.

Members of the recalibrated IATF on Zero Hunger include the Secretaries of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and Chairperson of Commission on Higher Education (CHED), as well as a representative from the Office of the President (OP).

Addressing hunger and poverty

Since he assumed office on January 31 this year, DSWD Secretary Gatchalian has laid out programs and special projects to fight hunger and poverty in the Philippines, including the implementation of digital food stamps.

DSWD Spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Romel M. Lopez pointed out that the program is aimed at insulating 1 million poor families who do not have access to nutritious foods.

“Sa halip na pipila kayo dati o mag-aabang ng relief goods although kahit naka-preposition na ‘yan, ngayon po bibigyan na natin ng laya iyong mga kababayan natin sa tulong ng food stamps. With the help of our partner merchandise at mga suppliers ay maaari na nilang kuhain doon sa mga ka-tie up natin na supermarket iyong kanilang mga pangangailangan. Food stamp na lang po ang kanilang dala-dala (Instead of lining up and waiting for relief goods, though these are already prepositioned, this program will provide freedom to its recipient to buy goods of their choice in our partner grocery stores and supermarkets. All they have to do is to bring their food stamp and use it to buy their basic necessities),” Asst. Secretary Lopez said.

The Food Stamp program was proposed by the DSWD to the President as one of the current Administration’s priority programs, which aims to address the hunger problem that many communities in the country are experiencing, the DSWD spokesperson noted.

“One of the things that is in the pipeline, that is being developed, that is going to be of great assistance to our people is a proposal by the DSWD for a food stamp program, which I am surprised that we have never had, but it is something that we can see that has been effective in other countries,” President Marcos had said in an interview.

To date, the Department is now in the thick of things to operationalize this initiative, according to Asst. Secretary Lopez.

“With his enthusiasm to address hunger and achieve food security in the country, Secretary Gatchalian will be able to lead the Task Force in ensuring that government policies, initiatives, and projects on attaining zero hunger are responsive and effective,” the DSWD spokesperson said. #



Gov’t food stamp program to be pilot tested 2nd half of 2023 – DSWD

In line with the Marcos’ administration program to alleviate hunger and poverty among families belonging to the lowest income bracket, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to pilot-test its food stamp program in the second half of the year, Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Tuesday.
 
In a press briefing in Malacañang, the DSWD chief said they are now in the design stage of the program to properly fill in the gaps that may be overlooked during its implementation.
 
“Mayroon na tayong first draft ng design and we will spend the remaining months of May and June in the design stage. We all know that the devil will be in the details and we have hired multiple consultants in the department to take a second look at what’s being designed para may check and balance,” Gatchalian said.
 
“We are working with PSA’s [Philippine Statistics Authority] in-house poverty expert who is their Usec – Usec. Dennis Mapa – he is helping us craft the concept there. So, the remaining days of May and June, we will work on designing it. Now, July to December will be the pilot run to vet the (program) properly,” Gatchalian added. 
 
With the help of the Marcos administration’s economic team, Gatchalian said they are trying to package the financing side of the food stamp program of the national government, hoping to launch the actual run in the first quarters of next year. 
 
 
He pointed out that throughout the program, the DSWD will continuously monitor and measure the beneficiaries in the regions that it has identified. 
 
 
“We have to make sure that iyong konteksto ng programa will be designed na naaangkop sa bawat lugar,” Gatchalian said. 
 
The food stamp program or the “Walang Gutom 2027” aims to provide electronic benefit transfers that will be loaded with food credits amounting to P3,000 to purchase a select list of food commodities from DSWD accredited local retailers.
 
The “Walang Gutom 2027” intends to target the bottom one million households from Listahanan 3 who belong to the food poor criteria as defined by the PSA. 
 
“We believe that this program will properly address the gaps and assist its beneficiaries in attaining the recommended food and energy consumption needed for each member to perform their daily tasks and routines that has direct and indirect contribution to human capitalization and a direct positive impact towards nation-building. In other words, by meeting the daily food requirements of its target beneficiaries, the said program will sufficiently mitigate hunger caused by extreme poverty,” Gatchalian said. 
 
The identified beneficiaries are families that do not make beyond P8,000 monthly based on PSA gauge, Gatchalian pointed out.
  
“It’s conditional… similar to other food stamp programs, there will be a work component. Ang argumento kasi ngayon ‘di ba, ‘pag gutom ang isang indibidwal, hindi siya maka-participate, hindi siya makatrabaho – kulang iyong caloric intake. So kung hindi siya makapagtrabaho, hindi siya produktibong mamamayan ng ating bansa,” he noted.
 
“Ang kondisyon nga doon is, when you’re signed up, you have to go to your nearest Public Employment Service Office (PESO), get a certification that you are now partaking—being counted as part of the workforce no matter what job it is,” he added. 
 
Gatchalian also thanked the Asian Development Bank for providing close to U$3 million for the six-month pilot run of the food program. (PND)


DSWD holds presscon on typhoon preps, food stamp program

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, together with (from left to right) Special Assistant to the Secretary (SAS) Marlon Alagao, Undersecretary Josefina Monina Romualdez and National Authority for Child Care Undersecretary Janella Estrada, held a press briefing earlier today (May 23) where he discussed several pressing issues.

Secretary Gatchalian tackled the Department’s preparations for Tropical Cyclone Mawar, which is expected to affect the northern part of the country. He also responded to media queries on the issuance of a Cease-and-Desist Order for Gentle Hands, Inc. as well as the new DSWD initiative to address hunger through the Food Stamp Program. #



DSWD’s digital transformation journey gains support from tech partners and multilateral agencies

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is embarking on a digital transformation journey that will modernize its systems and processes, DSWD Secretary REX Gatchalian has announced.

“We are excited to embark on this digital transformation journey with the support of our technology partners and multilateral agencies. We recognize the importance of modernizing our systems and processes to serve our beneficiaries and stakeholders better,” Secretary Gatchalian said in a recent meeting with partner agencies.

The DSWD secretary’s digitalization plan is aligned with the digital roadmap presented by President Ferdinand R. Marcos during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July last year.

The Marcos administration’s digitalization effort has attracted numerous technology partners and multilateral agencies that threw their full support behind the initiative.
Secretary Gatchalian expressed confidence that under the leadership of the Department’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), Julius Gorospe, the DSWD will achieve its digitalization goals.

“We are committed to driving this digital transformation journey to achieve our goals. We believe that this effort will not only enhance our service delivery but also change the public’s perception about the state of ICT in government agencies,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.

CIO Gorospe, who is also Special Assistant to the Secretary (SAS) on E-Governance and Digital Infrastructure, spearheads the digital transformation to enhance the agency’s service delivery to its beneficiaries and stakeholders.

“This transformation will enable the DSWD to leverage the latest digital technologies and data analytics to improve its operations and decision-making processes,” SAS Gorospe said.

The DSWD’s digital transformation journey, Gorospe said, includes adopting new digital platforms and solutions, enhancing its IT infrastructure and developing new digital services for its beneficiaries and stakeholders.

“This will enable the agency to streamline operations and improve its programs and service delivery,” Gorospe pointed out.

The DSWD’s digital transformation journey is a testament to the agency’s commitment to better serve its beneficiaries and stakeholders.

“With the support of its partners, the agency is poised to make significant strides in its digital transformation journey,” Gorospe said.#



DSWD urges promotion of Comprehensive Juvenile Intervention Program

A senior official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is urging the promotion of the Comprehensive Juvenile Intervention Program as the Department observed the 17th anniversary of the enactment of Republic Act (RA) No. 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (JJWA).

In her message, DSWD Undersecretary Vilma Cabrera, chairperson of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC), stated the importance of the role of duty-bearers in the implementation of the amended JJWA.

“I hope that each of you will keep on developing and implementing your respective Comprehensive Juvenile Intervention Program, ensure the provision of preventive and responsive community-based programs on juvenile justice and welfare, and support the conduct of child-appropriate diversion programs,” Undersecretary Cabrera said.

“To our children, especially to the children at risk and children in conflict with the law, great things are ahead of you, just stay on track – take an active part in your intervention and diversion programs, listen to the guidance of your parents, house parents, and other center staff and continue pursuing your dreams,” the DSWD undersecretary pointed out.

With the theme, “Patuloy sa Pagsulong ng Pagbabago para sa Batang Pilipino,” the 17th JJWA anniversary focuses on strengthening children and young people’s participation in the JJWA advocacy.

The celebration also aims to increase the awareness of beneficiaries, stakeholders, duty-bearers and the general public on the law and its implementation, particularly on the utilization of the Juvenile Justice Management Information System (JJ-MIS), development of the Comprehensive Local Juvenile Intervention Program (CLJIP) and other necessary protocols.

The JJ-MIS is an online centralized information system that is used to collect, record, and manage data on children in conflict with the law (CICL) and children at risk (CARs), which is significant in the development of evidence-based policies and programs to support minor offenders and their families.

All local government units are enjoined to draft their CLJIP, which will serve as their guide in the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of their respective juvenile intervention programs and policies.

The DSWD and the JJWC are committed to reinforcing their initiatives to uphold the rights and welfare of CICLs and CARs by engaging with stakeholders and duty-bearers through the effective and efficient implementation of the JJWA. #