Partners express support to DSWD’s new priority programs

Various development partners expressed their support to the new priority programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) during its Partnership Forum on Social Welfare and Social Protection held on Thursday (June 29) at the Seda Hotel Vertis North, Quezon City.

In his closing remarks, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in the Philippines Mr. Lionel Dabbadie also commended the DSWD for organizing the forum.

New Priority Programs

One of the featured programs in the forum was the WALANG GUTOM 2027: Food Provision through Strategic Transfer and Alternative Measures Program (Food STAMP), which aims to decrease incidence of involuntary hunger experienced by low-income households and make them productive citizens of the country.

The DSWD is also strengthening its disaster resilience capability through the Buong Bansa Handa Project, that will establish two parallel supply chains on disaster response.

The first supply chain will feature an expanded network of national and local government warehousing infrastructure, while the other one will be private-sector driven.

The DSWD will also revive its Social Welfare and Development Center for Asia and the Pacific (SWADCAP) into a DSWD Academy to serve as a learning facility that will provide specialized training, capacity-building activities, and other learning development interventions to social workers to enable them to meet the ever-changing social work landscape.

The Oplan Pag-Abot is one of the latest initiatives of the DSWD to reach out to children and families, including indigenous peoples, staying or living on the streets by providing them with the necessary interventions such as livelihood opportunities and shelter assistance to help them live a safer, sustainable, and productive life.

The DSWD is also currently retooling its programs and services through policy reforms, recalibration of its implementation guidelines, streamlining of processes and timelines, as well as rationalizing cost parameters for interventions and modalities, in order to become more responsive to the needs of its clients and beneficiaries.

https://kaagapay.dswd.gov.ph



DSWD chief witnesses graduation of over 500 4Ps beneficiaries in Plaridel, Bulacan

Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian graces the Pugay Tagumpay ceremonial graduation of some 562 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Plaridel, Bulacan, on Wednesday, June 28.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian witnessed on Wednesday (June 28) the graduation of some 562 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamlilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) from the municipality of Plaridel in Bulacan province.
In a Pugay Tagumpay ceremonial graduation held at the Don Caesareo San Diego Gym in Barangay Poblacion, Secretary Gatchalian commended the 4Ps  households who have already improved their quality of life and who now serve as inspiration to others.
“Kahit saan tayo tumingin umaabot tayo sa part ng programa kung saan ang mga anak ninyo, nakakatapos ng pag-aaral, nakakahanap ng maayos na trabaho,” Secretary Gatchalian said in his short speech.
(No matter where we look, we reach a part of the program where your children are able to finish their studies and find a decent job.)
Secretary Gatchalian also recognized the exiting 4Ps households for their hard work and dedication to lifting their life conditions mired in poverty despite the challenges they face.
“Ang araw na ito ay selebrasyon dahil sa inyong disiplina, sa inyong pagpupursigi, sa inyong paniniwala na kaya kaya pa nating gawing mas maayos ang ating kinabukasan, iyon ang selebrasyon sa araw na ito. Bibigyan ng pugay ang ating mga 4Ps beneficiaries na ga-graduate dahil naging madali ang mga taong nakalipas,”  the DSWD chief said.
(Today, we celebrate because of your discipline, perseverance, and belief that we can still make our future better. That’s the reason for the celebration today. We pay tribute to our 4Ps beneficiaries who will graduate despite the hardship in the past years.)
Secretary Gatchalian also assured the graduating 4Ps households that continued support will still be provided by the DSWD and their local government unit (LGU) after graduation.
“Maaasahan po ninyo na pwede pa rin kayo pumunta sa aming regional office para humingi ng tulong at humingi ng gabay. Mayroon kaming mga programa para sa mga grumaduate na ng 4Ps gaya ng Sustainable Livelihood Program. Ang importante hahakbang tayo,” Secretary Gatchalian added.
(You can still rely on us. You can visit our regional office to seek assistance and guidance. We have programs available for 4Ps graduates, such as the Sustainable Livelihood Program.. What’s important is that we continue to move forward.)
Plaridel Municipal Mayor Jocell Aimee Vistan-Casaje, in her message of support, emphasized the significant impact of the 4Ps on her constituents who were able to achieve an improved and sustained quality of life.
“Sa inyong pagtatapos, alam ko sa paglingon ninyo sa mga taong nakaraan, alam kong saksi kayo kung paanong nakatulong ito sa bawat Plarideleño na naririto,” Mayor Vistan-Casaje said.
(Today, as you graduate from the program and look back on the past years, you are witnesses to how the 4Ps has helped every Plarideleño who is here today.)
“Katulad ko, katulad mo kaya natin iangat ang buhay natin dahil may mga programa gaya ng 4Ps na handang tumulong para maputol ang cycle ng kahirapan at umangat ang ating kabuhayan,” Mark Anthony Isaac, one of the 4Ps beneficiaries from Plaridel, Bulacan who graduated from the 4Ps program two years ago, said.
(Like you, like me, we can uplift our lives because there are programs like 4Ps that are ready to help break the cycle of poverty and improve the quality of our life.)
Isaac was a monitored child of the program who graduated cum laude from Bulacan State University with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering this year. He was also the first runner-up in the National Search for Exemplary Child in 2015.
Pugay Tagumpay is a commendation to the household beneficiaries whose lives have improved through the 4Ps program, and with the assistance of DSWD’s partner stakeholders.
Apart from the 562 graduates from Plaridel,  some 144,167 beneficiaries nationwide have already exited from the program after they have been assessed to have achieved a self-sufficient level in their overall well-being. #

 



DSWD among top trusted gov’t agencies in latest PAHAYAG Survey

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) welcomes the result of the PAHAYAG 2023 second quarter survey which showed the agency among the top trusted government agencies with a 65 percent approval rating.

PAHAYAG is an independent and non-commissioned survey conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia Inc.

About 1,500 respondents across the country participated in the poll which was conducted from June 8 to 12.

DSWD Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez thanked the Filipino people for their trust and confidence in the Department, through its various programs that gives direct service to poor families and vulnerable sectors.

“On behalf of Secretary Rex Gatchalian and the whole DSWD, I would like to extend our gratitude to the Filipino people for their continuing confidence and trust in the Department,” said Asst. Secretary Lopez, who is also the DSWD spokesperson.

“We owe this high rating to our dedicated staff and partners who continue to ensure that we provide the best quality service to our Kababayans in need,” Asst. Secretary Lopez pointed out.

“We will use this survey result as a source of inspiration to strengthen and improve our delivery of services and programs under the leadership of Secretary Gatchalian,” the DSWD spokesperson said.

The DSWD continues to implement big-ticket programs that address poverty and hunger. These are the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP), the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services Kalahi-CIDSS), the Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) and the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, among others.

The latest DSWD flagship project is the Food Stamp Program (FSP), which aims to provide food augmentation to the bottom 1 million households from Listahanan 3, who belong to the food poor criteria as defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The FSP is currently in the design phase and the DSWD targets to roll out the pilot implementation by July to December this year. It would be funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) through grants amounting to US$3 million.

The Food Stamp Program will be conducted in five pilot sites with “different geopolitical characteristics.” This includes the selected cities and municipalities in National Capital Region, Caraga Region and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The pilots sites targeted are geographically isolated regions, urban poor settings, calamity-stricken areas, and rural poor areas.

“We have to do the pilot at 3,000 families; 300,000 hopefully next year sa first run; another 300,000 right after and then hopefully, reach the magic number of one million in the succeeding year,” Secretary Gatchalian said in an earlier interview.

Target beneficiaries or those families whose income does not go beyond P8,000 a month will be given electronic benefit card or ‘tap cards’ which will be loaded with food credits amounting to P3,000.

On Thursday (June 29), the DSWD is set to conduct a Partnership Forum featuring its new priority programs, including the Food Stamp Project, to determine new areas for collaboration with development partners and stakeholders.#



DSWD to introduce new priority programs in Partnership Forum

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will present new priority programs and services to its development partners and stakeholders in its upcoming Partnership Forum on Social Welfare and Social Protection on Thursday (June 29) at the Seda Vertis North, Quezon City.

With the theme, “Investing in Filipinos: Investing in the Future,” the event aims to provide a venue for meaningful discussions to strengthen and improve the delivery of social welfare and social protection programs in the Philippines.

According to DSWD spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez, the Department organized the partnership forum to promote the whole-of-nation approach to address poverty and hunger.

“Hopefully, we will be able to determine new areas for collaboration with our development partners such as resource complementation and convergence of programs and services to cater to the needs of our target sectors,” said Asst. Secretary Lopez.

Among the programs that will be featured in the forum are the WALANG GUTOM 2027: Food Provision through Strategic Transfer and Alternative Measures Program (Food STAMP); Buong Bansa Handa; the DSWD Academy; Paspas Serbisyo – Digital Transformation; Oplan Pag-Abot Project and the Retooling of Social Welfare Programs.

Under the leadership of Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the DSWD will continue to prioritize the ease of delivering social welfare programs by establishing strategic partnerships with various partners and stakeholders to become more responsive to the needs of poor, marginalized, and vulnerable Filipinos.

Some of the development partners and stakeholders that will be attending the June 29 event are officials and representatives of the World Bank (WB) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN); the UN Resident Coordinator Office; the European Union Delegation in the Philippines; the Australian Embassy in the Philippines and the Provincial Government of Occidental Mindoro.#



DSWD assures 4Ps graduates of continued support from LGUs, gov’t agencies, private sector

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has assured the would-be graduates of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the continued support from local government units (LGUs), including various government agencies, and the private sector.

“Ang mga exiting 4Ps ay pormal na i-indorso sa kanilang mga lokal na pamahalaan kasama ang kanilang case folders upang maging gabay ng Local Social Welfare and Development Office sa mga programa at serbisyo na kakailanganin ng pamilya. Ang pag i-indorso ay isinasagawa tuwing Pugay Tagumpay Graduation Ceremonies na isinasagawa ng DSWD katuwang ang lokal na pamahalaan na kanilang kinabibilangan,” DSWD Spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez, said.

(The exiting 4Ps beneficiaries will be formally endorsed to their respective local governments, along with their case folders, to serve as guide for the Local Social Welfare and Development Office in implementing programs and services that the families may need. The endorsement process takes place during the Pugay Tagumpay Graduation Ceremonies organized by DSWD, in partnership, with the local government).

“At dahil sa mga exiting o graduating na sambahayan, ang mga higit na nangangailangan na sambahayan ay mabibigyan ng oportunidad na mapabilang sa 4Ps program at magkaroon din ng pagkakataong paunlarin ang kanilang pamumuhay,”  Asst. Secretary Lopez added.

(And because of the exiting or graduating households, those in greater need will have the opportunity to be included in the 4Ps program and have a chance to improve their quality of life).

The DSWD spokesperson also emphasized that in accordance with the Kilos-Unlad case management strategy, “graduating or exiting households undergo social preparation, such as attending Family Development Sessions.”

“Kabilang din ang pag-review sa household intervention plan upang mapasinop ang mga plano ng pamilya sa tulong ng mga city at municipal links upang matiyak ang tuloy-tuloy na pag-unlad at hindi na sila muling magbalik sa pagiging mahirap,” he said.

(This includes reviewing the household intervention plan to ensure the family’s plans are well-crafted with the assistance of city and municipal links for their progress and prevent them from falling back into poverty).

Asst. Secretary Lopez pointed out that exiting or graduating families undergo a thorough assessment process to evaluate their living conditions before the Pugay Tagumpay.

“Ang mga pamilyang natukoy na umahon na sa kahirapan ay hindi na makakatanggap ng cash grant simula Pay Period 6 na sumasakop sa mga buwan ng Disyembre 2022 at Enero 2023,” the Assistant Secretary said.

(Families identified to have helped themselves out of poverty will no longer receive cash grants starting from Pay Period 6, which covers the months of December 2022 and January 2023)

In response to appeals from 4Ps beneficiaries, Asst. Secretary Lopez mentioned that the DSWD is conducting reassessment processes to verify the status of beneficiaries included in the list of those no longer qualified for the program.

“Dahil sa isinagawang re-assessment, ang ibang household ay hindi muna makakatanggap ng cash grant,” the Spokesperson added.

(As a result of the reassessment, some households will temporarily not receive cash grants).

Kilos Unlad

As part of its efforts to ensure the readiness of beneficiaries for their exit from the 4Ps program, the DSWD established the Kilos Unlad Social Case Management Framework.

“Ito ay proseso kung saan ginagabayan ang mga magtatapos na benepisyaryo ng 4Ps upang mapaunlad ang kanilang pamumuhay katuwang ang pambansa at lokal na pamahalaan at pribadong sector,” Asst. Secretary Lopez explained.

(This is a process that guides graduating 4Ps beneficiaries in improving their quality of life in collaboration with the national and local governments and the private sector)

Asst. Secretary Lopez said that exiting and graduating beneficiaries may coordinate with their respective LGUs for supplemental assistance, and other services and programs that they may need.

Following Rule XV Section 35 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the 4Ps Law, the reasons for beneficiaries to exit the program include: (a) the last child being monitored in the household reaching the age of 18 or completing high school, (b) the household reaching the seven-year limit in the program, (c) no longer classified as a poor family based on the assessment conducted by the standardized targeting system (currently Listahanan), (d) voluntary withdrawal from the program, and (e) violation or offense in the program resulting in appropriate penalties or removal from the program. #



DSWD chief joins hand with ASEAN delegates to advance child rights protection

Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian (center) is one with the member-states of the  Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in advancing the protection and promotion of child rights.
 

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian showed his support to the protection of children during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Dialogue on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

During the opening session of the conference at the Manila Diamond Residences in Makati City Thursday (June 22), Secretary Gatchalian called for the member states of the ASEAN to join hands in improving the promotion and protection of child rights in the region.

“As the next generation of leaders, we must continue to ensure that children are able to thrive in a safe, nurturing, and enabling environment wherein they can freely participate and develop their full potential,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

The DSWD chief also pointed out the importance of the dialogue to provide a regional platform to collaboratively discuss ways to strengthen the enjoyment of the rights of the child.

“This dialogue is a crucial event to share good practices and to determine new areas for cross sectoral collaboration to strengthen regional solidarity and cooperation in the ASEAN,” Secretary Gatchalian noted.

Through this dialogue, ASEAN countries are expected to respond to the recommendations and observations by the Child Rights Coalition (CRC) Asia in the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world.

Among the concerns to be discussed in the conference are the overall effects of the COVID 19 pandemic; digital environment; climate change and the environment; gender and disability inclusions; cultural background; right to health; trafficking in person and other transnational crimes and literacy.

The DSWD chief also expressed gratitude to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) for spearheading the event, as part of the Philippine government’s continuing initiative to promote the rights of children in ASEAN since 2018.

The dialogue, which will end on Friday (June 23), is being spearheaded by the AICHR in partnership with the CRC Asia and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (UNICEF-EAPRO). #



Leaders in the Social Work profession pledge to strengthen their craft in Central Luzon

Different representatives of various fields of social work came together to celebrate Filipino Social Workers’ Day on 23 June 2023 in Angeles City.

The event aims to recognize the unique efforts of the different fields as an essential part of a holistic mechanism to improve the quality of life of Filipinos.

The highlight of the event is the signing of their pledge of commitment to more effective collaboration.

The symbolic activity was first signed by DSWD Region III Director Jonathan V. Dirain followed by other social work leaders.

Their pledge reads:

“We, the representatives of different social work organizations in Central Luzon take this pledge to commit ourselves, with utmost sincerity, to uphold the spirit of unity and collaboration.

Guided by the objectives of the ASEAN Social Work Consortium – Philippines, we pledge to support and collaborate with the Central Luzon Social Work Consortium on programs and initiatives that promote the profession, strengthen solidarity, and institutionalize effective collaboration for the development of social workers and schools of social work in the region. As social work leaders, we will promote and foster a harmonious working environment for all social workers, guided by our profession’s philosophy, values, and principles.

This is our pledge.”

The pledge of commitment was led by Jefran P. Olingay, Chairperson of the consortium and a social worker in the court setting.

Other officers of the consortium are: Jasper P. Nicolas (Vice-Chairperson, Association of DSWD Social Workers, Inc.), Dr. Mary Grace T. Sandico (Treasurer, National Association of Social Work Education, Inc.), Melanie M. Barnachea (Secretariat, DSWD Region III), and Nedda Angelica D. Dizon (Assit. Secretariat, DSWD Region III).



DSWD Region III director: Social Work is the noblest profession

Despite various efforts of different social workers, there is still a lot of room to raise the level of awareness of the public towards the profession.

Up until today, misconceptions about the role of the profession are still deeply engraved in the consciousness of people. Media play an important role in how they are depicted in various media materials, especially in news.

To name a few of the most common misconceptions, some people still believe that social workers are in charge of dole-out services such as the distribution of relief goods. They are also used to scare children who dwell in the street.

Social Workers are more than that. The profession uses scientific, research-based approaches and it is regulated by the Professional Regulations Commission.

They provide various interventions to address the gaps that hinder individuals, groups, and communities to function to their fullest potential. They operate based on human rights, strengths, motivations, and resources of people.

DSWD Region III director Jonathan V. Dirain said that after being installed in his position in 2022, he came to believe that social work is the noblest profession in the country.

Glady Quindoza-Bunao, MSW (Chairperson, ASEAN Social Work-Consortium Philippines) said that she feels honored to be given the opportunity to help others, “Let us continue to stand united for the recognition of the value of our profession by fostering meaningful partnerships with other professions,” she said as she called the crowd to action.

In partnership with the Junior Social Workers Association of the Philippines – Central Luzon Chapter, the Central Luzon Social Work Consortium (CLSWC) organized the first region-wide celebration of Filipino Social Worker’s Day on 23 June 2023 in Angeles City. The event was spearheaded by Jefran P. Olingay, Chairperson of CLSWC, in partnership with DSWD Region III and Junior Social Workers Association of the Philippines Central Luzon.