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 […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian speaks before the members of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives during the budget briefing/hearing of the 2025 proposed budget of the agency on Wednesday (August 21). Majority of the committee members expressed their manifestation of support to Secretary Gatchalian for being able to respond extensively to their queries. The DSWD chief was joined by members of the Department’s executive and management committees,  regional directors of the agency’s 16 Field Offices, and heads of its attached and supervised agencies.#

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Wednesday (August 21) assured the public that the agency is ready to help persons in need of assistance even if they do not have referral letters from public officials. “Mayroon kasi tayong policy sa DSWD na lahat ng pupunta sa aming tanggapan, whether may referral o walang referral, basta nangangailangan at tumuntong sa aming tanggapan, tutulungan at tutulungan natin,” the DSWD chief said in an interview with Congress media shortly before the agency’s scheduledbudget deliberation at the House of Representatives. Secretary Gatchalian also responded to the concern raised by […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Monday (August 19) reiterated that tampering or repacking of the agency’s family food packs (FFPs) is illegal and constitute a criminal act. Secretary Gatchalian reiterated the warning following reports of repacking incidents that have been circulating in the social media and the actual filing of cases before the Office of the Ombudsman. “The DSWD stands firm that we do not allow repacking. We are looking at the veracity of the complaints received through email, and other complaints that may arise,” Secretary Gatchalian told reporters during a press conference at […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian answers questions from reporters on the latest food poor threshold from the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) during a press conference on Monday (August 19) at the DSWD Centra Office’s New Press Center in Quezon City. Secretary Gatchalian emphasized that the DSWD also uses non-monetary indicators, aside fromthe monetary index provided by the NEDA, in determining if a family is food poor. The DSWD chief cited that the agency balances the data from the NEDA with social workers’ lens which is through the case management of program beneficiaries. #

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Monday (August 19) that the agency does not only use monetary indicators or numbers in determining whether a family is poor or not. Secretary Gatchalian said in Monday’s press conference that the data which the DSWD gets from the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) are being balanced using the social worker’s lens. “Nilinaw naman ng NEDA na ang inilabas nilang food poor threshold ay isa lamang sa mga development indicators na ginamit nila. Sinabi nila na hindi rin naman ito ang gagamiting […]