In 2022, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) remained committed in providing compassionate public service to poor and marginalized Filipinos under its mantra, “Bawat Buhay Mahalaga.”
As the year moves to a close, the DSWD management under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., vows for a stronger implementation of social welfare and development services in 2023 by sustaining organizational excellence through the expansion of its Quality Management System certified by the ISO 9001:2015.
The following are the highlights of the achievements of the DSWD for 2022:
SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
Three years after its institutionalization as a regular program of the DSWD through Republic Act No. 11310 or the 4Ps Act, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program remains as the largest poverty alleviation program of the national government which invests in human capital development to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
As of November, a total of 4,372,124 households were served as beneficiaries of the 4Ps or 99.37% of the annual target of 4,400,000 households.
Likewise, as of October, the Department celebrated the success of 106,379 4Ps households which graduated from the program. These households are now considered non-poor after attaining self-sufficiency.
Sustainable Livelihood Program
The Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) is a capacity building program that provides livelihood opportunities to poor families and individuals through the provision of seed capital fund, cash for building livelihood assets and skills training under the micro-enterprise development track, or employment assistance fund under the employment facilitation track.
As of November, the SLP was able to serve 122,925 poor households nationwide providing them with the opportunity to manage their own entrepreneurial projects or finding gainful employment.
Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services
Under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), the Department continues to empower communities through the implementation of the community-driven development (CDD) strategy. The CDD approach enables underprivileged communities to actively participate in the identification, design, implementation, and management of solutions to their priority problems.
For 2022, the KALAHI-CIDSS was able to complete 3,663 subprojects benefitting 1,624,221 households. Among the subprojects completed include access roads, isolation facilities, handwashing stations, classrooms, multi-purpose buildings, medical supplies, drainage canals, and facilities for COVID-19 response, among others.
PROTECTIVE PROGRAMS
Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations
The provision of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) serves as a stop-gap mechanism or social safety net to support the recovery of individuals and families from an unexpected crisis.
From January to November, a total of 4,031,874 clients were provided with medical, educational, burial, and transportation assistance by the program or about 326.52%, exceeding the annual target clients of 1,234,785.
Supplementary Feeding Program
The Department continues to implement its Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) as the agency’s contribution to the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program of the government and Republic Act No. 11037 or the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act.
For the 11th Cycle of SFP, about 1,987,656 children were served with nutritious meals or 102.60% from the annual target of 1,937,378 children. For the 12th Cycle which started in August 2022, some 623,430 children were served as beneficiaries or 32.19% from the annual target of 1,936,868 children.
As of November, a total of ₱3,358,633,134.65 was utilized or 80.71% out of the 2022 allotment of ₱4,161,542,000.00 for SFP.
Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens and Centenarians Act of 2016
For the elderly sector, the DSWD adheres to Republic Act No. 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 by implementing the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC). The program provides a monthly stipend of ₱500 to augment the needs of indigent senior citizens so that they will be able to meet their daily subsistence and medical requirements.
For this year, the program was able to provide stipend to a total of 3,609,153 indigent senior citizens nationwide to augment the funds they need for the purchase of their health and nutritional requirements.
Aside from social pension, the Department facilitated the provision of cash gift worth ₱100,000 and Letter of Felicitation from the President of the Philippines to Filipinos who have reached 100 years old or older as mandated by Republic Act No. 10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016.
As of November, a total of 1,556 centenarians from various regions in the country received their cash gifts as part of the recognition that they received for their valuable contribution in nation building.
Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons
Throughout the year, the DSWD provided interventions and package of services such as psychosocial, social, and economic interventions to trafficked persons under the Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP).
From January to November, about 1,575 trafficked persons were provided with services ranging from temporary shelter, livelihood assistance, skills training, psycho-social counseling, financial assistance, and referral to other agencies through the RRPTP.
Comprehensive Program for Street Children, Street Families and Indigenous Peoples
As the lead social protection agency, the Department, in coordination with concerned local government units (LGUs), facilitated the provision of assistance for street children, families, and other individuals at-risk on the streets, including indigenous peoples by implementing the Comprehensive Program for Street Children, Street Families and Indigenous Peoples.
The program offers an integrated approach to reduce the vulnerabilities of children, families and indigenous peoples at risk on the streets by providing interventions such as livelihood assistance, cash-for-work, developmental sessions, learning sessions, cultural activities, and other necessary assistance to enable the target beneficiaries to live productively in a safe environment.
As of November, some 688 children and 572 families were served in the National Capital Region, CALABARZON and Regions III, V, VI. VII, IX and XI.
Targeted Cash Transfer Program
Due to the increasing prices of basic commodities brought by the global inflation, the Department facilitated the release of cash assistance under the Targeted Cash Transfer (TCT) program for the poorest 50 percent of Filipino households. The TCT Program provided cash grants amounting to ₱500.00 per month for six months to mitigate the adverse effects of the increase in the prices of fuel and non-fuel commodities.
As of November, there were 9,065,696 eligible households provided with cash grants as augmentation for their daily subsistence under the TCT program.
Disaster Response
As the Vice Chair for Disaster Response of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the DSWD was able to strengthen its preparedness for response measures through the immediate prepositioning of food and non-food items in strategic locations around the country. In addition, the Department also provided technical assistance to LGUs through the mobilization of Quick Response Teams for the conduct of Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) and management of evacuation centers.
From January to November, a total of 1,065 LGUs received augmentation for disaster response and 708,287 internally-displaced households were served through disaster response services such as provision of food and non-food items and psychosocial services.
Aside from disaster response, the Department also facilitated early recovery and rehabilitation efforts which include cash-for-work, food-for-work, emergency shelter assistance, transitional shelters and restoration of damaged houses, among others.
As of November, about 749,345 disaster-affected households were provided with early recovery services nationwide.
IRRs of new laws
The Department also led the signing of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of pertinent laws that promote the protection and welfare of vulnerable sectors.
In June, Republic Act (RA) No. 11642 or the “Domestic Administration Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act” was signed by the DSWD with the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) and other partner agencies.
The IRR highlighted the duties and responsibilities of concerned agencies, particularly the NACC, formerly the Inter-Country Adoption Board, which is a one-stop quasi-judicial agency on alternative child care.
Under the IRR, the NACC will have the original and exclusive jurisdiction over all matters and petitions pertaining to alternative child care, including the issuance of Certificate Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption (CDCLAA), and the process of domestic and intercountry adoption, foster care, kinship care, family-like care, or residential care.
Last September, the IRR of RA No. 11767 or the “Foundling Recognition and Protection Act” was signed to protect the rights of children with unknown facts of birth and parentage. The IRR highlights the assumption of a foundling’s natural-born Filipino citizenship and ensures that they are accorded with all the rights to government programs and services.
Also in September, the DSWD, with partner agencies, signed the IRR of RA 11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents’ Welfare Act which guaranteed that all Filipino solo parents will receive adequate social protection programs from the government to aid them in raising their children. Among the pertinent provisions of the law include the provision of monthly cash subsidy of P1,000 from their respective local government units and ten percent (10%) discount and exemption from the value-added tax on certain products and services mentioned by the law.
In December, the IRR of RA 11596, otherwise known as “An Act Prohibiting the Practice of Child Marriage and Imposing Penalties for Violations Thereof” was signed to prohibit and protect Filipino children from entering into any kind of child marriage that will be detrimental to their overall welfare and development.
Renewed commitment to compassionate public service
This 2023, the DSWD will usher the new year with renewed commitment to dedicated and compassionate public service by strengthening the implementation of programs and services that are responsive to the needs of sectors often neglected such as solo parents, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens, among others.
Moreover, the DSWD will also continue to capacitate Local Social Welfare and Development Offices of LGUs to improve the delivery of SWD programs and services, in adherence to RA No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991.
True to its journey towards excellence, the Department will continue to sustain the provision of quality social welfare and development services that are easily accessible to poor, disadvantaged, and marginalized Filipinos. ###
