In Sta. Teresita town in Cagayan province, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) is not only helping the townsfolk mitigate the effects of climate change but also in reviving ecotourism and local livelihood. Sta. Teresita is a town rich in resources for ecotourism and agriculture. However, due to the effects of climate change that causes extreme weather conditions, community members experience significant losses in their livelihood. “Project LAWA and BINHI is an initiative that provides an opportunity to strengthen the government’s […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian underscored the substantial improvement of the agency’s budget utilization rate during the House Committee on Appropriations’ deliberation of the DSWD’s 2025 proposed budget on Wednesday (August 21). “We did a comprehensive housekeeping by conducting a thorough review of our processes and implemented significant improvements. We are pleased to report that the DSWD has made substantial progress in financial management,” Secretary Gatchalian said in his opening presentation. Secretary Gatchalian told House solons that the DSWD’s obligation rate in July 2023 was only 39 percent, with a disbursement rate of 67 percent. […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) received praises and manifestations of support from members of Congress during the hearing on the agency’s 2025 budget at the House of Representatives on Wednesday (August 21). Vice Chairperson of the House Appropriations Committee Teodorico Haresco Jr. commended the DSWD chief and said it is the “golden years” of the agency under the leadership Secretary Rex Gatchalian. “Ngayon ko lang po narinig na nagpapalakpakan at madami ang congratulations. That shows the articulateness and intellectual vigor of Secretary Rex but with a heart. Hindi pa namin natatapos ang pagtanong, nakukuha mo agad in the […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured on Wednesday (August 21) his full support to the enactment of House Bill No. 10423 or the Universal Social Pension Bill during the deliberation of the agency’s 2025 proposed budget. “One, it’s  fair. We are fully supportive of it and it will certainly make our lives so much simpler. We are fully supportive and we understand that concept to make more people productive in a sense,” Secretary Gatchalian said when asked by Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo on the DSWD’s stand on the bill. The House Bill No. […]

Members of the House Committee on Appropriations commended the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday (August 21) for its fast and efficient response in disaster relief operations, particularly during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Carina. Several congressmen present in the deliberation of the DSWD’s 2025 proposed budget lauded Secretary Rex Gatchalian and some of the agency’s regional directors (RDs) for their swift action on their requests for family food packs (FFPs). “Thank you so much DSWD for being so responsive. Kami po ay nangangailangan, napakabilis ng pagresponde ninyo. Hindi lamang si Secretary kundi si RD , basta […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) plans to launch the full operation of its revitalized DSWD Academy in the first quarter of 2025. This was announced by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian during a press conference on Monday (August 19) at the agency’s New Press Center in Quezon City. The DSWD Academy is a learning facility envisioned to become a center of excellence for community development and social work. It aims to provide opportunities for the development of the competencies of social workers and paraprofessionals to meet the ever-changing trends in social work practice. The Department is currently offering […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Innovations and Program Development Cluster on Monday (August 19) checked on the status of the implementation of the Bangsamoro Umpungan sa Nutrisyon (BangUn) Program for children in Madamba town, province of Lanao Del Sur. The BangUn is a DSWD nutrition program implemented in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) that aims to reduce vulnerabilities among malnourished children aged 0-12 and provide health support to Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLW). “No work in DSWD central office today due to Quezon City Day celebration. But here we are in Mindanao reporting for […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has reiterated the agency’s plan to intensify the programs and services that will contribute to the goal of President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr’s administration in reducing the poverty incidence to a single digit before the end of the chief executive’s term in 2028. “Ang sabi nga ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) at National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), we’re on track to reach single-digit poverty incidence by the end of the term of the President in 2028. So kami, ang kaya namin sabihin, una ay pag-iigtingin pa natin kasi marami […]

The official spokesperson of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reiterated on Wednesday (August 21) the criteria to qualify for the agency’s Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Program or SocPen. “We would like to reiterate that the SocPen program of the DSWD is for indigent senior citizens who are frail, sickly or with disability, and without pension or permanent source of income, compensation or financial assistance from his/her relatives to support his/her basic needs,” Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is also the agency spokesperson, said. According to the DSWD spokesperson, the SocPen is a program under Republic […]