Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian meets with representatives of World Bank (WB) on Wednesday (September 18) to discuss lined-up initiatives for social protection under the joint project Beneficiary Fast, Innovative, Responsive, Service Transformation (BFIRST). The meeting revolved on ways to augment the implementation of BFIRST, focusing on the utilization of advanced systems and technology to improve the department’s social welfare services. Joining the DSWD chief in the meeting were Undersecretary for Policy and Plans Group (PPG) Adonis Sulit, and Asst. Secretary for External Assistance and Development Juan Carlo V. Marquez, who is also the BFIRST […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has a total of 76 centers and residential care facilities (CRCFs) nationwide which are owned and managed by the agency and catering to all sectors—from children to older persons. “From children sector hanggang doon po sa ating older persons’ sector, kasama po at pinagsisilbihan natin dito sa DSWD,” Asst. Secretary for Statutory Programs Ada Colico told reporters during the Thursday Media Forum at the DSWD Central Office’s New Press Center in Quezon City. Residential care services are the alternative form of family care providing 24-hour group living on a temporary basis to […]

Clients in need of assistance in buying medicines can now use the guarantee letters (GL) issued by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to purchase their ‘maintenance medicine’ from selected pharmacies around the country. “Under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, the DSWD has been engaging with selected pharmacies to help poor clients to purchase their medicine needs through the DSWD-issued GLs,” Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said on Wednesday (September 11). A Guarantee Letter is a document issued by the DSWD in favor of the beneficiary addressed to service […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is pushing for stronger partnership and more impactful convergence with other national government agencies (NGAs). The 4Ps National Program Management Office (NPMO) highlighted this during a Visioning and Convergence Planning Workshop held last September 10 to 13 in Tagaytay City. “Matagal pa po ang return of investment, 10 years, 15 years, pero malaki ang tulong ng 4Ps. From this workshop we can still produce more topnotchers, we can still produce more college graduates from the children who were being helped by the 4Ps program,” National Program Manager […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is hopeful that the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SocPen) will be given additional funding by Congress for the program’s implementation in 2025. “We would like to inform the committee that there are 612,277 waitlisted senior citizens as of July 31, 2024, who are not yet included in the budget of the program at present and for the next year,”  DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian reported during the September 16 deliberation of the agency’s proposed 2025 budget by the Senate Committee on Finance chaired by Senator Imee Marcos. Secretary Gatchalian explained that […]

An official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reminded the household-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to use the grants for the intended purpose of supporting children’s education and health. “I hope sa ating 4Ps beneficiaries, take care of the grants. ‘Yan ang lagi kong sinasabi, na gamitin sa tama dahil ito ay makatutulong para mas mapaganda pa ang buhay ninyo eventually kapag nakapag-aral na ang mga anak ninyo at kung sila ay malusog,” 4Ps National Program Manager Director Gemma Gabuya said on Wednesday (September 18) during the second episode of 4Ps Fastbreak livestreamed over […]

The continuous operation of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) disaster resource hubs ensured the replenishment and availability of food and non-food items for augmentation to local government units (LGUs) affected by Tropical Storm (TS) Ferdie and Tropical Depression (TD) Gener, compounded by the southwest monsoon or habagat. “As directed by Secretary Rex Gatchalian, disaster preparation in the DSWD must be 365 days in a year. We always ensure that there are family food packs (FFPs) and non-food items for our kababayans,” Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Irene Dumlao, who is also the agency spokesperson, said […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian sought the support of the members of the Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Senator Imee Marcos, for the retention of the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP) program in the line item of the agency’s budget for 2025. “Madam Chair, we have gladly lobbied and we will continue to lobby na sana huwag matanggal yung AKAP sa line item ng incoming budget. Because it is helping our people,” Secretary Gatchalian told the committee members during the September 16 budget deliberation. Secretary Gatchalian said the Department has published the guidelines […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now in the process of partnering with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) in facilitating the distribution of cash assistance to program beneficiaries in all the agency’s regional offices. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian reported this development to the members of the Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Senator Imee Marcos, during the agency’s 2025 budget deliberation on Monday (September 16) where the agency head explained that the lack of vehicles in some DSWD Field Offices puts the personnel carrying cash to payout sites at high risk. “We are working with the […]