Artemio Bautista, known to many as Art, always thought his name would lead him to a life of painting and drawing. With a passion for the arts, he dreamt of becoming a Fine Arts student but as it turned out, fate had other plans for him. Being a social worker wasn’t part of his dream. He never imagined that he would be working in the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Art came from a family of soldiers. His father, grandfather, and brother all served in the military, naturally leading him to consider a career in the Armed Forces […]

Coffee lovers, how do you like your coffee? Some people like it hot. Others prefer it iced. Some crave its strong and bitter taste or love it with lots of sugar and cream. But for Rodiyo Tacdoy of Benguet province, a former monitored child of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), a coffee is more than just a drink as he took the La Trinidad-grown coffee to the next level. Proof to this was when Rodiyo Tacdoy was able to sell his special coffee beans for a hefty price of Php9,900 per kilo during the Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) […]

Some say cancer is a journey in which the afflicted walks the road alone. In the case of Presildo Abuke, he undertakes the journey with his stage 4 lung cancer in the company of his family and with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) within his reach. A former family driver, Presildo has been fighting the disease for 7 years now, a serious ailment he believes to have been caused by excessive drinking and chain smoking during his younger days. Through the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, Presildo is able to receive assistance to […]

In the rustic farmlands of Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, an age-old Filipino tradition is taking root once more through the collective spirit of communal unity and cooperation – Bayanihan, as most people know. According to Melanie Barnachea, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer (MSWDO) of Cuyapo, the resurgence of the Bayanihan spirit did not happen overnight. It was through 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) that helped their community to rekindle the spirit of helping each other. “Isa po dun sa […]

There is never an easy way to say goodbye to a departed loved one. The grief and pain can be crushing beyond words— and for many Filipinos living from paycheck to paycheck, it is made even heavier by the financial weight of hospital bills, medication, and funeral expenses. Yet even in those grim, heart-shattering moments, every bereaved family wishes nothing but to express their love, respect, and care for those who have passed on. But what happens when love alone is not enough to cover the piling cost of a proper farewell? This is where the Department of Social Welfare […]

The Dacyon family of Barangay Upper Uma, Lubuagan was one of the poor households in Kalinga province that benefitted from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Rosabelle Dacyon, a former 4Ps monitored child and the youngest in the family, can still remember vividly that it was June 2, 2009 when their family became a program beneficiary. She was in Grade 3 at that time and her family was experiencing untold hardships. In an interview with the DSWD’s #Kwento ng Pag-asa at Pagbabago (#KPAP) team, Rosabelle narrated: “Ang buhay po namin nung wala pa […]

There is a popular thought in development work that states: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” For the Talim Island fisherfolk community, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) has taught them how to fish, figuratively and literally. Talim Island is situated in Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country, within the Rizal province border, and with barangays divided into the jurisdiction of two municipalities, Cardona and Binangonan. The Laguna de Bay is a rich […]

“Serving with a heart.” These are the words that Maria Anthea Navales holds close as she navigates through the many challenges in her life. Though she experienced hardships and heart break, Anthea found a new sense of purpose — dedicating herself to serving others and providing assistance to those in need. “Napagdesisyonan ko po na kumuha ng Social Work dahil gusto kong magkaroon ng better na trabaho at umalis sa corporate world dahil paulit-ulit na lang yung nagiging trabaho, walang self-development at hindi ko nakikita kung ano yung gusto ko,” Anthea said in an interview with the third episode of […]