Recognizing the crucial role of social workers in disaster risk reduction and climate change resilience (DRRCR) across the ASEAN region, the Philippines is set to host a hybrid celebration of the ASEAN Social Work Day 2025 on Tuesday (March 25). As the designated Philippine Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD) Leader, the DSWD will spearhead the celebration which will be attended by ASEAN Member States and development partners, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, as the head of the lead social welfare agency of the Philippines and as the ASEAN […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Thursday (March 20) the agency’s Walang Gutom Program (WGP) can help address the oversupply of agricultural products in the market by connecting with local agriculture offices to accredit local retailers. “In fact, that is why we are scaling it [WGP] and we are accrediting local retailers to supply doon sa Walang Gutom Program. Pero tulad ng nasabi ko, palaki pa lang ang programa. In fact, right now nandun pa lang sa stage na lumalaki siya kasi kakatapos lang ng pilot pero ang goal nga dun is to link […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) urges social welfare and development agencies (SWDAs) whose certifications of registration, license to operate, and accreditation (CRLA) have already expired to renew these for them to continue their operations. “So yun po if hindi po kayo licensed nagpapadala po kasi kami ng notices na hindi na po kayo pwedeng mag-operate, hindi na po kayo pwedeng mag-receive mg mga clients kasi we have to ensure na safe lagi ang mga clients natin,” Director Megan Therese Manahan of the DSWD Standards Bureau (SB), the agency’s main regulatory office, said during an interview with Radyo […]

Following the release of the Commission on Elections’ (COMELEC) new exemption on the poll spending ban for key government programs, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian reiterated that the agency remains open in accommodating people in crisis, whether they have referrals or none. “Kahit may referral, kahit na walang referral, lahat ‘yan basta may pangangailangan, tutulungan,” the DSWD chief said during an interview with Ano Sa Palagay Nyo program in Net25 on Thursday (March 20). Secretary Gatchalian assured the public that the agency’s social workers, who are licensed professionals, follow stringent measures to ensure that the […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Strategic Communications is set to hold regional information caravans as part of its campaign to fight misinformation, disinformation, and fake news on the agency’s programs and services. “Ngayong taon po ay magkakaroon ng dalawang information caravan per region. Ang tawag po namin dito ay ‘Tamang Tulong sa Tamang Impormasyon’ info caravan,” Director Clarissa Lara Duran of the Public Relations Service (PRS) told reporters at the DSWD Thursday MediaForum on March 20. According to Director Duran, the information caravan is designed to educate the public onhow and where to access accurate and verified […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to implement the revised and stricter guidelines of the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), a senior official said during the DSWD Thursday Media Forum on March 20. DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said the revised guidelines will ensure that systems are fine-tuned to prevent the program from being used for political purposes during the campaign period and to guarantee the responsible use of taxpayers’ money. One of the new provisions requires the public posting of the names of individuals, by province, who received financial assistance under […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) currently has 879 partner-retailers nationwide that offer affordable and nutritious food items to beneficiaries of its Walang Gutom Program (WGP), formerly the agency’s Food Stamp Program. Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said on Thursday (March 20) 530 partner-retailers are women-led and owned enterprises, highlighting the DSWD’s commitment to women empowerment and economic inclusion. “As the nation celebrates National Women’s Month this March, we extend our gratitude to all these women-led enterprises. Their participation in the Walang Gutom Program helps ensure that families have access to nutritious food while also promoting women’s leadership in […]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) proposal for its new community-resilience development project, the Panahon ng Pagkilos: Philippine Community Resilience Project (PCRP) secured a final approval from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., on Wednesday (March 19). According to Secretary Rex Gatchalian, who presented the final proposal to the NEDA Board, the PCRP will serve as a successor project to the agency’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and IntegratedDelivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) National Community-Driven Development Program (NCDDP). It will focus on strengthening community-based mechanisms to address emerging […]

As the graduation season nears, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) urged Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, particularly students who are eligible for college, to explore government scholarship opportunities to secure their tertiary education. 4Ps Social Marketing Division Chief (DC) Marie Grace Ponce said on Wednesday (March 19) at the DSWD’s 4Ps Fastbreak online program that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) have scholarship programs that prioritize students from 4Ps households. “Wala pong ino-offer ang 4Ps na scholarship for college students pero may mga katuwang po tayo na […]