Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Saturday (April 5) the agency is prioritizing the deinstitutionalization of abandoned, neglected, and orphaned children from child caring facilities so that they will find their forever loving homes.

“The goal is to deinstitutionalize children from our facilities. How? Mayroon ang NACC (National Authority for Child Care), isinusulong ang foster care, so we are accrediting foster parents para pansamantalang arugain yung mga bata. And two, through adoption,” the DSWD chief explained during his guest appearance at the Teleradyo program, ‘Serbisyong DSWD for Every Juan’.

Secretary Gatchalian said the DSWD is working with its attached agency, the NACC, to strengthen and improve the alternative child care programs of the government and encourage more Filipinos to foster children in order to help them experience a caring and protected family environment.

“Hindi dapat natin madaliin pero dapat pagtibayin natin yung programa ng foster care…we want to be the leader in that,” Secretary Gatchalian told the program anchors.

Putting the best interest of the child is on top of the agency’s list, according to the DSWD chief.

The ‘Serbisyong DSWD for Every Juan’ is anchored by veteran anchor Alvin Elchico together with Information Officer Bianca Piedad-Tamondong of the DSWD’s Traditional Media Service (TMS). It airs every Saturday from 11 am to 12 noon at DWPM Radyo 630.