In a move to adapt to the changing landscape of service delivery, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Standards Bureau, embarked on a series of comprehensive retooling training for its personnel to prepare them for the digitalization of the agency’s regulatory services.

The series of training held at the Great Eastern Hotel in Quezon City started last December 2023 and ended in March 2024 were aimed at equipping the participants with the necessary skills and knowledge for the upcoming changes.

“Building upon the success of the initial training in 2023, the SB retooling series was organized after a month of careful planning,” DSWD Standards Bureau (SB) Director Atty. Megan Therese Manahan said on Wednesday (May 15).

Director Manahan explained that the training was designed to further enhance the knowledge and skills of the SB personnel to carry out their responsibilities and to better prepare them to the changes and challenges that will come with the implementation of the new guidelines and digitalized regulatory services.

The SB director said the retooling series consisted of three parts, each focusing on different aspects of the new guidelines and procedures that would be implemented.

Director Manahan reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to being a catalyst for change, ensuring the delivery of not just quality, but excellent service to all stakeholders, particularly the poor and marginalized sectors of society.

The first part involved simulation exercises for registration and licensing, a walkthrough on accreditation, and a lecture on monitoring. These exercises were crucial in ensuring that technical assistance could be provided effectively to applicant Social Welfare and Development
Agencies (SWDAs).

Subject matter experts including the contributors on the new guidelines and assessors of regulatory services shared their insights on the topics for the first part. The resource persons were Cielo Marie Marmol, April Peñaflor, Christie Reamico, Bennizh Kyle Vail, and Rasnaida Gara.

The second part of the training workshop centered on the important topic of handling complaints.

DSWD Undersecretary for General Administration and Support Services Group (GASSG) Atty. Edward Justine Orden shared valuable tips and strategies on managing complaints, captivating the audience with his wit and wisdom.

Undersecretary Orden’s topic of discussion also included case analysis workshops, allowing participants to analyze real cases involving erring SWDAs.

SB’s Atty. Edgar Allan Pamis provided a step-by-step overview of the handling of complaints based on the new guidelines while Jennifer Verano provided the practical assessment of the managed cases.

The final part of the series was conducted by expert personnel from the SB-Standards Development Division (SDD), led by Le’Ann Rose Parman, Maureen Joy Calleja and Tricia Echaveria.

The two SB personnel briefed the participants on the recently approved Guidelines in the Issuance of Certification to Registered, Licensed, and Accredited Private Social Work Agencies (SWAs) as Eligibility for Duty- Exemption of Donated Imported Goods in accordance with Republic Act No. 10863, Section 800 (M) or MC 8 s2024 and Revised Guidelines in the Processing and Issuance of Regional and National Public Solicitation Permits or MC 9 s 2024.

A ’Knowledge Sharing Session’ from both the guides and observers of the shadowing activity of the assessment process in the accreditation of SWDAs concluded the final part of the retooling series. #