The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Field Office (FO) 7 – Central Visayas has been closely monitoring the ongoing preemptive evacuation in Canlaon City amid the volcanic unrest of Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Oriental. In a report to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Central Visayas Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero said that as of 10 pm Tuesday (September 10), about 88 families or 248 individuals have been evacuated in three different public high schools for their temporary shelter. In Barangay Masulog, 65 families or 204 individuals have been evacuated to the Masulog High School. In Barangay Malaiba, 10 families […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has directed the agency’s Field Office (FO)-CALABARZON to send immediate assistance to the local government unit (LGU) of Bacoor City in Cavite province following the fire that engulfed residential houses in Longos, Barangay Zapote 3 on Tuesday (September 10). Upon learning of the fire incident, Secretary Gatchalian ordered FO-CALABARZON Regional Director Barry Chua to immediately coordinate with Bacoor Representative Lani Mercado for the provision of relief support for the lady solon’s fire-hit constituents. In an updated report to Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Director Chua said the FO has 14,000 family food […]

An official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday (September 11) reiterated that beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) are selected based on a standard screening process to ensure that only qualified families can benefit from the program. “Unang-una, kailangan na naitalagang mahirap sa ating National Household Targeting System o Listahanan,” 4Ps National Program Manager, Director Gemma Gabuya said as she discussed the selection process of 4Ps beneficiaries during the pilot episode of the 4Ps Fastbreak, the DSWD’s newest live program that aims to beef up public knowledge and awareness about the agency’s poverty […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) assistance to families hit by Severe Tropical Storm ‘Enteng’ and the southwest monsoon has already reached almost Php250 million, an agency official said on Tuesday (September 10). “In total, the Department has already augmented a total of Php248,385,622.05 worth of food and non-food items to the regions affected by Enteng and the recent habagat,” Asst. Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DMRG) Irene Dumlao, who is also the agency’s spokesperson, said. Asst. Secretary Dumlao also reported that the agency has already released 587,952 family food packs (FFPs) that are either distributed to […]

In the towns of President Roxas and Carmen in Cotabato province, community gardens built under 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) are now helping boost the towns’ local economy through agricultural livelihood opportunities for farmers. Most of the beneficiaries are also farmers operating community gardens. They have successfully ventured into selling their crops to local markets, according to Ryan Hervilla, DSWD Field Office (FO) 12- SOCCKSARGEN project development officer (PDO) of Project LAWA and BINHI. PDO Hervilla is pleased to see […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian meets with executives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) on Monday (September 9) to discuss a developing project seeking to enhance the agency’s Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program (WGP). The meeting explored the ADB’s project called Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers (REFUEL), which aims to scale up WGP, particularly its utilization of electronic food voucher for food-poor beneficiaries. The DSWD Chief and Asst. Secretary for Innovations Baldr Bringas, who is also the Officer-In-Charge of WGP extended their gratitude to […]

Amid the rising number of recorded seismic activities of Mt. Kanlaon, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has assured that in any eventuality, the agency is ready to assist the Canlaon local government unit (LGU) in disaster response and relief operation. In a report to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Tuesday (September 10), Field Office (FO) 7-Central Visayas Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero said the FO is working closely with the LGU of Canlaon for the emergency response plan. “Also Sec, we are having refresher sessions with QRT members to be deployed to the area as needed,” Director […]

A senior official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reiterated on Monday (September 9) that availing of services from the agency’s centers and residential care facilities (CRCFs) should always be the last resort by concerned parties. “First of all, the DSWD values family ties, so all necessary measures and interventions must be exhausted before being admitted to a DSWD-managed center or facility,” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is also the agency spokesperson, pointed out. According to Asst. Secretary Dumlao, an individual may be admitted to a DSWD-managed residential facility through a court order in cases such as […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian reported to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr on Friday (September 6) the agency is continuing its disaster response operations for the effects of Severe Tropical Storm “Enteng”, while ensuring that there will be enough relief items in preparation for the possible weather disturbances that could develop in the next two weeks. “Mr. President, tama po kayo, hindi na natin malalaman ‘yung ending ng Enteng response sa incoming storms but based on your last instructions, we are both doing the response, stockpiling, and the procuring all at the same time, sabay-sabay […]