The year 2018 saw the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) responding to various changes within the organization. Despite these changes, DSWD employees remained united and continued performing their tasks with the same commitment to quality service that they have demonstrated over the years.
Taking the helm of the Department in the last quarter of the year, DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista jumpstarted his leadership role by spearheading the response efforts for families affected by disasters such as Typhoon Rosita and the landslide in Natonin, Mountain Province.
As the year moved to a close, Sec. Bautista, with his own brand of leadership focusing on the principle of unity and teamwork, has steered the Department towards achieving its 2018 targets.
Here are the highlights of the Department’s accomplishments in 2018:
PROMOTIVE PROGRAMS
The Promotive Programs are the strategic grouping of the flagship social protection programs of the Department that provide investment to human capital through conditional cash transfer, community-driven development, and sustainable livelihood.
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
Now on its 10th year of implementation, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) continues to invest in the health and education of poor and vulnerable households to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty in the country.
As of October, 4Ps is being implemented in 145 cities and 1,489 municipalities in 81 provinces. A total of 4,178,985 are active household-beneficiaries. Of the 4.1 million active beneficiaries, 3,950,012 are covered by the regular Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program while 228,973 are covered by the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT).
The MCCT includes beneficiaries who are not covered by the regular CCT, such as homeless street families, victims of natural and man-made disasters who are rendered homeless and with no means of livelihood, and Indigenous People in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA).
Sustainable Livelihood Program
The DSWD also continues to provide indigent Filipinos with access to sustainable livelihood opportunities through its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP). SLP is the Department’s capacity-building program that provides access to opportunities that increase the productivity of the livelihood assets of the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized communities, helping them improve their socio-economic well-being.
Under SLP, beneficiaries are given the option to take either the micro-enterprise development track, which supports microenterprises to become organizationally and economically viable, or the employment facilitation track, which assists Filipinos to access appropriate employment opportunities.
As of October, the program was able to serve a total of 82, 455 households nationwide. Of this number, 73,546 households or 89.20 percent were served under the micro-enterprise development track while 8,909 households or 10.80 percent were served under the employment facilitation track.
Out of the total number of households served by SLP, 70,073 are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Some 63,600 4Ps households were assisted under the micro-enterprise development track, while 6,473 were facilitated for employment.
Unconditional Cash Transfer
In continuation of the implementation of the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) program, the largest tax reform mitigation program under the current administration’s Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, the Department has prepared and uploaded the payroll documents for the P2,400 UCT grants of some 8,603,905 beneficiaries to the Land Bank of the Philippines.
The remaining 2,600,000 beneficiaries are expected to have their scheduled payouts via over-the-counter or conduits this December.
Kalahi-CIDSS National Community-Driven Development Program
The DSWD continues to empower communities in targeted poor and disaster-affected municipalities to achieve improved access to social services through the implementation of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi CIDSS) National Community-Driven Development Program.
The program provides assistance by enhancing communities’ and local government units’ (LGU) capacity and by providing seed funding for community implementation of priority social infrastructure sub-projects that help reduce poverty and improve sustainability. As of November, 412 municipalities have been implementing the program while a total of 4,558 sub-projects have been completed and have benefitted 1,536,100 households.
PROTECTIVE PROGRAMS
The protective programs serve the DSWD’s primary clients—the poor and vulnerable groups and communities – so that they are provided with the necessary safety nets and safeguards against social exclusion and further impoverishment and are given the opportunities to improve their resiliency and welfare.
Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations
The DSWD continues to support the recovery of individuals and families from unexpected crisis through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS). AICS, which is delivered through the various Crisis Intervention Units (CIU) at the DSWD Central Office, Field Offices, and satellite offices in the provinces, provides educational, medical, transportation, burial, and food and non-food assistance.
From January to October, the Department has released P2,794,260,205.28 to 671,192 clients of DSWD CIUs nationwide. Medical assistance remains the top aid with disbursement amounting to P1,926,892,425, followed by burial and educational assistance with P386,361,798 and P324,626,840, respectively.
Supplementary Feeding Program
As part of the DSWD’s contribution to the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program of the government and Republic Act 11037 Institutionalizing a National Feeding Program for Undernourished Children in Public Day Care, Kindergarten and Elementary Schools, the Department continues to implement its Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP), which is the provision of snacks and hot meals in addition to the regular meals to children currently enrolled in child development centers and supervised neighborhood play.
As of November, a total of 1,543,903 children in 52,949 day care centers from all regions have benefitted from SFP with a total budget of P3,153,931,755.95.
Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens and Implementation of Centenarians Act
In adherence to Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act which seeks to help augment the daily subsistence and medical needs of indigent senior citizens, the DSWD continues to implement the Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens. The program provides P500 monthly stipend to poor seniors who are frail, sickly, and with disability; without regular income or support from family; and with no existing pension from the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, and other organizations.
As of October, a total of 3,114,064 indigent seniors have benefitted from the program with the total pension amounting to P13,976,334,000.
Meanwhile, the Department has recognized and awarded a total of 977 centenarians in all regions for 2018 for a total of P97,700,00. Under Republic Act 10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016, all Filipinos who have reached 100 years old and above, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, will be given a Centenarian gift amounting to P100,000 and a Letter of Felicitation signed by the President. The highest number of centenarians came from Region NCR with 381.
Services for trafficked persons
The DSWD also provided assistance to trafficked persons under the Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP). RRPTP is a comprehensive program that ensures adequate recovery and reintegration services provided to trafficked persons. It utilizes a multi-sectoral approach and delivers a complete package of services to enhance the psychosocial, social, and economic needs of the clients.
The beneficiaries of the program include the victims-survivors of trafficking who are returning or have returned to the Philippines, families, and relatives of the victims-survivors, and communities with a high incidence of trafficking.
As of September, the DSWD has served a total of 1,984 trafficked persons in all regions under the RRPTP.
Field Office NCR served the highest number of new Trafficking in Persons (TIP) cases with a total number of 580 followed by FO IX and III with 338 and 235 cases, respectively.
Lingap at Gabay Para sa May Sakit (LinGAP sa MaSa)
In line with its mandate to provide accessible social welfare assistance, the DSWD, through the Lingap at Gabay Para sa May Sakit (LinGAP sa MaSa), continues to serve the medical needs of indigent Filipinos.
LinGAP sa MaSa is the P1billion medical program of President Rodrigo R. Duterte implemented by the DSWD which initially began as a free medicines program. The medical program is being implemented by the Department’s Field Offices in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in Regions III, VI, VII, and XI in partnership with various government hospitals.
As of October, the LinGAP sa MaSa has already served a total of 69,805 indigent patients with a total amount of ₱712,588,740.40.
Issuance of Travel Certificate to Minors Travelling Abroad
To promote the rights and protect children from any form of abuse, the DSWD, through its Field Offices, issues Travel Clearance to children, 17 years old and below, who are traveling abroad alone or who are accompanied by a person other than their parents or legal guardian.
As of November 30, the Department has issued a total of 31,909 clearances to minors traveling abroad. Of this number, 15,109 were issued to males and 16,800 to females in 16 regions.
In July, the DSWD launched its DSWD eServices establishing the online application and processing for the issuance of travel clearance certificate for minors traveling abroad.
DISASTER RESPONSE
The DSWD continues to strengthen its commitment as the lead disaster response agency in the country through the provision of relief supplies and augmentation support to local government units (LGUs), mobilization of disaster response teams, monitoring and coordination with other concerned disaster response agencies, and setting up of Rapid Emergency Telecommunications Teams (RETT) in areas hit by disasters this year.
From January to December 2018, the country was hit by 20 tropical depressions in varying intensity, the most destructive of which were Typhoons Ompong in September and Rosita in October.
Typhoon Ompong displaced 931,892 families or 3,816,989 persons in 6,504 barangays in Regions NCR, I, II, III, CaLaBaRZon, MiMaRoPa, and CAR while Typhoon Rosita affected 136,273 families or 567,691 persons in 1,921 barangays in Regions I, II, III, VIII, and CAR.
These tropical depressions also intensified southwest monsoon rains affecting 532,066 families or 2,331,101 persons in 1,835 barangays in Regions I, III, VI, CAR, NCR, CALABARZON, and MIMAROPA.
The Department provided P72,437,893.68 worth of food aid to the affected families and non-food items including hygiene kits worth P36,095,131.00.
The Department also assisted communities affected by the eruption of the Mayon Volcano which displaced a total of 23,786 families or 91,055 persons from 61 barangays in the province of Albay. A total of P100,694,318.72 worth of food and non-food items was provided to the affected locals and some P61,973,000.00 was disbursed for the implementation of the cash-for-work program in the municipalities of Bacacay, Guinobatan, Malilipot, Santo Domingo, Daraga, and in City of Ligao, City of Tabaco, and Legazpi City.
Boracay Island rehabilitation
Apart from providing assistance to victims of natural calamities and hazards, the DSWD also extended aid to communities affected by the temporary closure of Boracay Island which started from April to Octobe4r.
As of November, the DSWD Field Office VI has provided financial assistance worth P43,967,347.58 to beneficiaries who availed of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS); P53,571,600 for the implementation of the cash-for-work program; P158,940,000.00 for the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP); and, 28,915 family food packs for 12,431 families amounting to P10,409,400.60.
Aid for IDPs of Marawi crisis
The DSWD also continues its provision of relief assistance for families affected by the Marawi crisis. To date, a total of P718,369,837.20 worth of relief assistance has been provided to the internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Looking forward to a new year with renewed vigor
This coming 2019, the Department continues to be faithful to its mandate of empowering and serving the vulnerable sectors of society.
With the leadership of Sec. Bautista and the lessons learned from the year that was, DSWD aims to improve its operations and program implementation to become more responsive to existing and emerging social welfare issues.
Foremost in this goal of an improved DSWD are stronger disaster preparedness and response effort and intensified implementation of the policy on “ease of doing business” in all DSWD transactions; among others.
On top of these, Sec. Bautista vows to put premium consideration on the welfare of personnel whom he considers instrumental to the overall success of the Department. # Source – www.dswd.gov.ph
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