The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) received heaps of praise from external partners who were invited in the nationwide frontline service inspection on Thursday (May 8) at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City.
According to Director Wayne Belizar of the DSWD’s Management Service (MS) and Committee on Anti-Red Tape (CART) Secretariat, the inspection of the agency’s frontline services is aligned with the implementation of Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 and in celebration of the ‘Ease of Doing Business Month’ this May.
“Dito sa national frontline inspection na ito, it seeks to evaluate and enhance the efficiency, accessibility, and quality of our frontline services. It will focus on key aspects that will directly impact our clients,” Director Belizar explained in his opening message before the inspection.
Those invited to assess the agency’s frontlines services were Janice Estrada from Jollibee Group Foundation Inc. and Chaffee Alpha from Ayala Foundation Inc.
The two partners assessed the agency’s processing for the clearance of minors traveling abroad (MTA); the registration, licensing, and accreditation (RLA) of social welfare and development agencies (SWDAs); the Public Assistance and Complaint Desk (PACD), and the processing of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).
The inspection focused on customer service experience, processing time, ease of transactions, and over-all service efficiency.
Based on the feedback of the Jollibee Foundation representative who is also a client of the agency’s RLA service, the processing time for the RLA greatly improved after the DSWD’s Standards Bureau streamlined the steps, documentary requirements, and processing days for the said service.
Janice also commended the signages and facilities around the Central Office’s vicinity which can be easily followed by clients.
“If I am the client, it would be easy for me where to go because everything is naka-indicate naman. And I appreciate yung mayroong sariling complaint desk para ma-address agad yung immediate concern ng mga kliyente natin,” Janice said.
The representative from Ayala Foundation, on the other hand, shared his appreciation for the invitation to take part in the inspection since their organization is also a client of the DSWD’s RLA service.
“Coming here, I realized na sa DSWD, the standards that they are looking for from the SWDAs and mga NGO [non-government organization] ay ina-apply din nila sa mga sarili nila,” Chaffee stressed.
Chaffee also commended the amenities that the agency maintains to make its clients comfortable such as water dispensers, nursing station, and electric fans at the AICS processing area.
Director Belizar noted that the inspection is not just for compliance, but an opportunity for an honest reflection and to improve the way the Department implements its services.
“We are working to build the DSWD [to become an agency] that truly embodies professionalism, compassion, and accountability. One that delivers services with dignity, speed, and heart,” Director Belizar pointed out.