In line with the upcoming change in leadership at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), outgoing Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista met with incoming Secretary Erwin T. Tulfo and his team on June 6 for a briefing on the Department’s landscape and organizational structure, major programs and services, accomplishments and key milestones as well as the propositions for the incoming Secretary.

The briefing was in preparation for the actual turnover of responsibilities to the incoming management by the end of June 2022.

During the meeting, Secretary Bautista warmly welcomed the incoming DSWD management and pledged the full cooperation of the current DSWD management team for a seamless transition of tasks and accountabilities.

“May this gathering be a productive one and serve as a mark for the new chapter of the DSWD, strengthened by the camaraderie of public servants, both old and new. Let us work together with renewed vigor, united by a purpose to uplift the lives of the poor, disadvantaged, and vulnerable sectors of the Philippine society,” said Secretary Bautista.

For the part of incoming Secretary Tulfo, he thanked the current DSWD administration for the hard work of aiding poor Filipinos especially during disasters and the ongoing pandemic.

“Accepting such a challenge of continuing your work will be the vehicle of my lifelong advocacy of social work in public service,” he said.

After the meeting, Secretary Bautista invited Secretary Tulfo and his team for a tour around the DSWD Central Office premises.

Meanwhile, during his interview with members of the media, incoming Secretary Tulfo commended the accomplishments of the Department under Secretary Bautista’s leadership. In particular, the incoming Secretary mentioned the Agency Operations Center (AOC), which serves as the command facility of the DSWD that generates data sets and other information necessary for the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of social welfare and development programs and services.

Mr. Tulfo also lauded the efforts to institutionalize digitalization in the various operations of the Department which is in line with the priorities of the incoming administration.

The incoming Secretary also mentioned that he will continue to reinforce the social protection programs of the Department to make it more inclusive to marginalized sectors, including Persons with Disabilities and senior citizens. ###