Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian meets with Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa and World Bank Division Director for the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei Zafer Mustafaolu for the expansion of the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City on Thursday (June 5). A total of 633 target municipalities nationwide, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have been identified for the program expansion. The PMNP is a holistic project of the Philippine government that aims to harmonize the delivery of multi-sectoral interventions to reduce stunting of […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian engages social workers from various associations and organizations in a dialogue on Thursday (June 6). Secretary Gatchalian thanked the social workers’ community for the opportunity to discuss issues with them on a deeper level and personally hear their sentiments following the viral case of Rose, the woman who surfaced from a Makati sewer. Secretary Gatchalian was joined by Undersecretary Denise Bernos-Bragas and Asst. Secretary Janet Armas of the Regulatory Services and Institutional Development (RSIDG). The social workers who handled Rose’s case led by Director Marlyn Moral of the Pag-abot Program […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary Baldr Bringas of the Innovations Program and Development Group (IPDG) shared updates and enhancements to the Walang Gutom Program during the Thursday Media Forum held on June 5 at the Central Office’s New Press Center in Quezon City. Asst. Secretary Bringas presented the program’s recent milestones, on-going innovations, and its continuing commitment to address food insecurity across the country, including the scale up and the agency’s plan of increasing the current Php3,000 monthly food credits as directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. The IPDG assistant secretary highlighted collaborative efforts to […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian congratulated Anselmo Brosas on Wednesday (June 4), the 63-year-old Walang Gutom Program (WGP) beneficiary who won the program-led Kusinero Cook-off Challenge in the National Capital Region (NCR). ‘Tatay Anselmo,’ who has been selling tinapa and ‘daing na bangus’ since 1990s bested other contestants with his featured, signature dish “Sinigang na Tinapang Galunggong,” a nutritious, affordable showcase of the well-loved Filipino dish with a smoky twist. Secretary Gatchalian also checked on the situation of the Brosas family in Tondo, Manila now that they are WGP beneficiaries and reaping the benefits of […]

Rose, the woman who emerged from a sewerage in Makati City, buys on Friday (May 30) various commodities for the ‘sari-sari’ store that she will open from the livelihood assistance provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Opening a sari-sari store is Rose’s long time dream to help her establish a sustainable source of income and be able to rise from a difficult life on the streets. Rose is among the families and individuals in street situations (FISS) reached out by the DSWD in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr to secure this […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian greets beneficiaries of the agency’s Walang Gutom Program (WGP) during a food redemption activity at Barangay 72 Covered Court in Tondo, City of Manila on Friday (May 30). A total of 62 beneficiaries successfully purchased various food items using their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards during the session. Alongside the redemption activity was a press conference on the Social Weather Stations (SWS), which was commissioned by the DSWD and Globe, that showed a drop in hunger incidence – a strong indication on the positive impact of the WGP on alleviating […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian presented the key findings of a recent Social Weather Station (SWS) showing a significant drop in hunger incidence among Walang Gutom Program (WGP) beneficiaries in a press conference held on Friday (May 30). Globe Telecom Chief Corporate Communications Officer Chito Manyago, Social Weather Stations (SWS) Vice-President Jay Sandoval and Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Senior Research fellow Roehl Briones also joined the press conference where they noted the survey results that the WGP is on the ‘right track,’ with its goal of mitigating involuntary hunger in the country. Certified […]

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian talks to families and individuals in street situations (FISS) during an early morning reach out operations in Makati City on Friday (May 30). Secretary Gatchalian and the Pag-Abot team were joined by Rose, the woman who was seen emerging from a sewerage in Makati City. In a meeting with Secretary Gatchalian on May 29, Rose expressed her willingness to help in the program by convincing other FISS to be reached out by the DSWD’s Pag-Abot team. (MBM)

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian talks with “Rose,” the woman who was seen crawling out of a sewerage in Makati City early this week. Rose, who was taken to the DSWD Pag-abot Processing Center in Pasay City for assessment, told the DSWD chief the real story behind her photos. Rose, who collects recyclable garbage and sells them for a living, went into the sewerage after a small blade cutter she uses for her daily collection fell into the drainage. Viral photos showed snippets of her after securing the said item. Secretary Gatchalian assured that in […]