Posted on 16 March 2020.
The Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD) has issued its own guidelines in support to the
directives of President Rodrigo Duterte to further control the spread of
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the country.
DSWD Secretary Rolando
Joselito D. Bautista signed on March 14 Department Advisory Number 1 titled,
“Guidelines for the Prevention, Control, and Mitigation of the Spread of the
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the DSWD Offices, Attached and Supervised
Agencies.” The advisory outlines the various steps to be taken by the
Department to safeguard its workforce, internal, and external stakeholders, and
to prevent the spread of the disease.
One of the actions to be
undertaken is the temporary suspension of some of the Department’s programs and
services that require meeting or gathering of beneficiaries and other
stakeholders from March 15 to April 14. The President’s directive emphasized
that all mass gatherings shall be suspended.
The Department is
temporarily suspending the payouts of Social Pension for Indigent Senior
Citizens and Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT); Listahanan enumeration;
activities of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) particularly the
administration of Social Welfare and Development Indicator (SWDI), over-the-counter
pay-outs and distribution of cash cards; activities in Climate Change
Adaptation and Mitigation, Offsite Serbisyo, Emergency Shelter Assistance
(ESA), Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP), Sustainable Livelihood Program
(SLP), and Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated
Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS); and service delivery
assessments.
The Department
emphasized that it is deeply concerned with the health of the
beneficiaries and its personnel that it decided to temporarily suspend the
activities of certain programs and services. This step will minimize the
exposure of beneficiaries, especially those from vulnerable groups such as
children, persons with disabilities, individuals with pre-existing medical
conditions, and senior citizens, as well as DSWD employees from the threats of
COVID-19.
The Department will
assess the temporary suspension from time to time to ensure responsiveness of
the policy to the evolving situation. This will be done to determine if the
suspension of some program activities will have to be continued or otherwise.
Despite the suspension
of some services, urgent medical and burial assistance can still be availed
through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS). Clients may
proceed to the Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) Team Offices in the
different provinces nationwide where 30 beneficiaries daily will be accepted
for processing, and at various DSWD Field Offices where 50 beneficiaries daily
will be processed. The DSWD Central Office will also accept and process the
request for assistance of 100 beneficiaries daily. A guarantee letter
will be given to the beneficiaries.
The Department strongly
advises younger and healthier members of the family to be the ones to apply and
bring the necessary requirements instead of the elderly family members so as
not to further compromise their health and well-being.
Meanwhile, families who
are affected by fire may still receive financial assistance or guarantee
letters under the AICS which will be given out in evacuation centers.
In addition,
distribution of food and non-food items will continue based on the guidelines
of the Department. The DSWD will coordinate with the Armed Forces of the
Philippines and the Philippine National Police for the hauling, and with the
local government units (LGUs) for distribution to the residents. As frontline
in service delivery, LGUs provide initial assistance to their constituents. The
DSWD, in turn, augments the resources of the LGUs.
DSWD Centers and
Residential Care Facilities (CRCFs) nationwide will also continue its
operations, but visits from family members and other guests will be regulated,
and proper social distancing will be implemented.
With regard to the
provision of social protection services to distressed Overseas Filipinos (OFs),
all Social Welfare Attaches will remain in their diplomatic posts in their
assigned countries for continuity of DSWD assistance.
To safeguard its
employees who will provide continuous public service amid the COVID-19 health
emergency, the Department will ensure the safety and good health of its
skeletal workforce, through the provision of protective equipment and frequent sanitation
and disinfection of their work areas.
DSWD appeals to the
public to remain calm and to fully cooperate with the government by adopting
social distancing and maintaining proper hygiene and sanitation at all times.
The Department also
guarantees that social amelioration will continue amidst the threat of COVID-19
to serve the poor, vulnerable and marginalized. -30-