Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista joined Cabinet members in a series of events held in Lanao del Norte on November 24 to extend social protection services to indigent families in the province.

Upon his arrival, the Secretary graced the launching of the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa (BP2) Program in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte wherein the DSWD will extend aid to returning families from the National Capital Region (NCR) and provide assistance in their reintegration and resettlement at their places of origin.

Secretary Bautista also led the provision of financial assistance, under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), to 100 indigent families in Kauswagan and 200 market vendors in Kapatagan who are economically affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the interventions that will be provided by the Department in BP2 Program are transportation assistance, Transitory Family Support Package, Livelihood Settlement Grants, transitory shelter assistance, and psychosocial support. In addition, the beneficiaries will also be involved in building self-sustaining community projects through the community-driven development (CDD) strategy of Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), core program of the DSWD.

Through Kalahi-CIDSS, community members actively participate to identify and prioritize their community’s problems and  allow them to design, implement, and manage solutions to their priority problems. It focuses on providing people-centered development by providing development assistance, capacity-building, and implementation support to poverty-disadvantaged and disaster-affected municipalities

About 10,000 families nationwide are targeted to benefit from the BP2 Program in the coming years.

Meanwhile, the Secretary joined Senator Lawrence “Bong” Go and other Cabinet members including Department of Budget and Management Secretary Wendel Avisado, Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Eduardo D. del Rosario, Presidential Communications Operation Office Secretary Martin Andanar, Mindanao Development Authority Chairman Emmanuel Piñol, and Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner Greco Belgica in the launching of the new Malasakit Center in Kapatagan Provincial Hospital. During the event, the Department, through its Field Office X, extended financial assistance worth Php3,000 to 46 patients currently admitted in the said hospital.

As the lead social welfare agency, DSWD remains committed to support the measures of the Duterte administration to ensure balanced regional development through the provision of quality social welfare programs to all Filipinos in need of assistance. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) denied that it is holding raffle draws or giving away cash prizes online and warned the public against fake Facebook posts promoting such activity.

This came in the wake of reports regarding multiple Facebook posts claiming that DSWD is giving away P50,000 to P60,000 from its Social Amelioration Program. According to a report received by the Department, the posts are phishing for information by asking netizens to send their full name, address, and contact number to another FB account.

DSWD urged the public to only refer to the Department’s official Facebook account, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Twitter account, @dswdserves; and to the DSWD website, dswd.gov.ph for updates and official information on its program and services.

The Department appealed to the public to be vigilant and to refrain from participating in dubious activities perpetrated on social media by unscrupulous individuals. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) supports move to strengthen the social pension system for indigent senior citizens in the country to better protect the elderly in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the increasing needs for health and daily subsistence of older persons, several bills have been filed in both houses of Congress that aim to increase the monthly social pension for indigent senior citizens, which is currently at P500.00 per month as provided for under Republic Act (RA) 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

The Department emphasized that indigent seniors in the country are in need of more assistance, especially in the midst of the current crisis caused by the pandemic. The proposed increase in the pension benefit will be a big help to augment the needs of poor seniors, who are among the sectors that are mostly-affected by the current crisis. The proposed measures also complement the efforts of DSWD to better protect the rights and promote the welfare of the elderly amid the pandemic.   

Meanwhile, DSWD’s programs and services for older persons shall be transferred to the newly-created National Commission of Senior Citizens as mandated by RA No. 11350 which was signed on July 25, 2019. The Commission will undertake the various developments, both on programs and the administrative aspects, specifically the country’s pension system to better protect the elderly from various cases.

DSWD, in coordination with local government units, implements the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens provided for under RA 9994. The program provides monthly stipend amounting to P500 to indigent senior citizens to augment their daily subsistence and other medical needs. It is distributed on a semestral basis at P3,000 per semester or P500 per month for six (6) months.

The law specifies that seniors qualified to receive social pension are those who are frail, sickly or with disability; without any pension from other government agencies; and without a permanent source of income or source of financial assistance/compensation to support their basic needs.

DSWD emphasized that it will support and implement measures that would be passed by the Congress in the provision of additional benefits and privileges to senior citizens, as it recognizes the contributions of older persons in nation-building, providing the foundation and laying the groundwork for today’s society. ### 

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), and National Youth Commission (NYC), lead agencies for the National Children’s Month (NCM) celebration, encourage all sectors to work together in building a safer and more caring environment for all children, as the nation celebrates the 28th NCM this November.

Republic Act 10661 declaring November as NCM commemorates the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on November 20, 1989, and seeks to instill its significance in the Filipino consciousness.  The Philippines is a signatory to the CRC, which is the first binding universal treaty solely dedicated to the protection and promotion of children’s rights. Section 3 of RA 10661 designates DSWD, CWC, and NYC as lead agencies in the preparation and implementation of an annual program of activities celebrating NCM.

This year’s celebration focuses on upholding the rights of children during the COVID-19 pandemic with the theme, “Sama-samang Itaguyod ang Karapatan ng Bawat Bata sa Panahon ng Pandemya.”

The theme aims to promote the protection of all children and their rights, provide practical support to parents and caregivers on how to care for children and themselves during the pandemic, empower children to protect themselves and report the experience of abuse, and guide LGUs to efficiently deliver their expected roles and functions. It is anchored on the UN CRC and the goals of the 3rd National Plan of Action for Children (NPAC) to progressively realize the rights of children.

DSWD cited that the 2015 Philippine National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children revealed that 80% of Filipino children and youth were experiencing any forms of violence in all settings, whether in the home, school or community. Specifically, 3 in 5 or 66% of children ages 13 to below 18 years experienced physical abuse, 3 in 5 or 58% experienced psychological abuse, while 19.1% experienced sexual abuse, which commonly happened in the home perpetrated by either of their parents, siblings, step-parents or by their grandparents or neighbors.

The 2015 NBS-VAC is the first ever national prevalence study on violence against children in the country and no repeat study has been conducted yet.

DSWD also chairs the Inter-Agency Council Against Child Pornography (IACACP), created by virtue of RA 9775 or the “Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009.”

In this time of pandemic, the DSWD, as chair of IACACP, emphasized that it is even more crucial to closely monitor the safety of children even inside their homes.

It also encouraged the community to be vigilant and immediately report to the authorities all forms of abuses against children through the Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP) Hotline (02) 8931-9141 or send text message Text DSWD <space> blockchildporn<space> URL address and send to 2327or Text blockchildporn <space> URL address and send to 0918-9122813. 

The DSWD urges all local government units, through the Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC), to be vigilant in monitoring cases of child abuse in their respective jurisdictions, particularly during this pandemic.

LCPC is responsible for the implementation of the National Strategic Framework Plan Development for Children in the local level. The LCPC partners with LGUs in crafting plans, programs, and activities in creating secure, healthy, and child-friendly communities.

To promote the month-long celebration, a series of online activities, such as virtual contests and webinars have been lined-up.

The Department affirms its commitment to uphold the welfare of Filipino children through the Department’s various programs, services, and policies, and strengthened coordination with partner-agencies, non-government organizations, and LGUs. -30-

WE WANT TO DO IT RIGHT. The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 10 always make rooms for improvement. It understands that while the demands of its programs and services has greatly increased, it also has to enhance, improve, and find better ways and schemes to serve its clients in accordance to existing laws and guidelines.

In the implementation of ESP, the DSWD intensifies its monitoring, deduplication and validation schemes to ensure that government resources are received by qualified individuals.

Further, the DSWD strengthens partnerships with national government agencies involved in the implementation of ESP, and the local government units who identifies qualified beneficiaries based on the program guidelines.

Yesterday, November 23, 2020, DSWD Undersecretary Aimee Neri and Director Mari-Flor Dollaga, Regional Director of DSWD-10 monitor the distribution of emergency subsidy to 268 low-income families in Barangay Kalasungay, Malaybalay City.

The beneficiaries received P6,000 each as the government’s support to enable them to purchase emergency needs such as food, medicines, and other necessities.

The Department also welcomes suggestions from the public but also ensures that all its processes and activities are accountable and are anchored on existing laws and guidelines.

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PASALAMAT. Ang Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 10 nagpakita sa ilang dakong pasalamat sa lokal nga pangagamhanan sa dakbayan sa Malaybalay ubos sa pagpangulo ni Mayor Florencio Flores, tungod sa tabang nga ilang gibu-bo ngadto sa mga programa sa DSWD aron kini ma-implementar ug insakto sa maong siyudad.

Matud pa ni Director Mari-Flor Dollaga, Regional Director sa DSWD-10, angay pasalamatan ang maong dakbayan tungod kay naghatag kini ug logistical support sama sa venue, security, opisina alang sa mga empleyado sa DSWD nga gipadala sa maong siyudad, ug uban pang klaseng suporta.

Ang pagpasalamat gipasundayag niadtong pagbisita nila DSWD Undersecretary Aimee Neri ug ni Director Dollaga sa City Hall sa Malaybalay gahapon, Nobyembre 23, 2020.

Lakip usab sa pagbisita ni Undersecretary Neri sa maong dakbayan ang pagsaksi ug pagmonitor sa payout sa Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP) ngadto sa mga 268 ka mga residente sa barangay Kalasungay ug sa payout sa Social Pension ngadto sa 171 ka mga senior citizens gikan sa mga barangay sa Can-ayan, Manalog, ug Kibalabag.

Dakong pasigarbo sa DSWD tungod sa maayong panag-uban sa lokal nga pangagamhanan sa Malaybalay ug sa Buhatan aron mahatag ang de-kalidad nga serbisyo ngadto sa mga katawhan sa maong dakbayan.

Salamat Malaybalay City!

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Eighty (80) families in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental received P6,000 each under Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 10. This is an implementation of the recently approved Republic Act 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).

These families were affected by the granular lockdown imposed by its local government unit to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the area. The prohibition of going out from their houses were strictly implemented. Reporting for work or selling goods in the market is not possible causing the wage earners and vendors to earn lesser than their expected income.
Per RA 11494, such occurrence will qualify families for the cash subsidy.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 10 continues to deliver quality services to its client even during the pandemic. A selfless act from the staff shows dedication and compassion to the duties they are delegated for.

To a breadwinner who has lost a job, to a mother whose livelihood is shut down, and to a child who can’t even eat a good meal three times a day, giving up can be a welcomed option.

But the DSWD-10 hears the cry for help from these individuals. With the mandate to respond to the needs of poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged, its workforce are deployed in communities near or far.

In Kadingilan, Bukidnon, 271 poor families are grateful for receiving financial aid from the Department through its Emergency Subsidy Program. Each of the family received P6,000 from the national government which they can use to make ends meet.

ESP is the government’s response to assist families as they cope with the economic challenges that they are facing in this pandemic.

Understanding their difficulty, the DSWD-10 will find ways to make its distribution of cash assistance safe, fast, and secure, despite the limitations that it is currently experiencing due to the present pandemic.