The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Kaagapay Donations Portal is a convenient and transparent way of sending donations especially in times of disasters, a senior agency official said on Tuesday (April 8).

“This is very timely dahil sa pagputok ng Mt. Kanlaon, ano ang kayang gawin ng ating mga kababayan dito sa Pilipinas or iyong mga nasa ibang bansa o kahit di natin kababayan kung gusto nilang tumulong sa mga nangangailangan. Ngayon sa pagputok ng Mt. Kanlaon, maaari silang magpunta sa Kaagapay portal,” Assistant Secretary Marie Rafael of the DSWD’s Partnerships Building and Resource Mobilization Office (PBRMO) told reporters at the National Press Club’s Meet the Press.

The DSWD official said donors no longer need to go to the Department’s regional offices or to banks to send donations.

The Kaagapay Portal also allows donors to donate directly to organizations and foundations that are registered with the Department as well as to local government units (LGUs).

A directory of LGUs affected by disasters which may be needing augmentation assistance is also available in the portal.

Asst. Secretary Rafael added: “Sa Kaagapay portal ay pwede silang pumili mag-donate sa DSWD, or pwede rin sa mga foundations at NGOs na nasa lugar kung nasaan may sakuna, tulad ngayon sa may Negros Oriental. Isa pa pwede din silang magpunta sa Kaagapay Portal at maghanap sila ng directory ng LGUs na apektado ng pagputok ng Mt. Kanlaon,
tawagan po ng diretso ang mga LGUs at tanungin kung anong kakailanganin ng mga nasa evacuation centers na kababayan natin.”

More than just an online system to process donations, the Kaagapay Portal is a platform where the DSWD bridges donors to stakeholders, organizations that are registered and licensed by the DSWD, as well as to LGUs partaking in the provision of assistance to Filipinos in need.

“Likas sa mga Pilipino ang pagtulong at ang alam ko na ang Kaagapay Donations Portal ay makakatulong sa ating mga kababayan lalong lalo na sa times na nangangailangan sila. So, sa lahat ng gusto pong tumulong, paki-click lang po ang kaagapay.dswd.gov.ph or pumunta po kayo sa website ng DSWD, dswd.gov.ph, at makikita niyo iyong Kaagapay Portal. Kahit gaano kaliit ang halaga, iyan ay makakarating saan man ninyo gustong tumulong,” the DSWD executive explained.

The Kaagapay Donations Portal is just one of the digital breakthroughs of the DSWD under the leadership of Secretary Rex Gatchalian anchored on the goal of the Marcos administration to automate up to 90 percent government transactions to improve public service delivery. (GDVF)