Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista oversees the manual distribution of emergency subsidy worth P5,500 to beneficiaries of the 2nd tranche of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) in Brgy. Irisan, Baguio City on July 30.

Other areas in the Cordillera Administrative Region that are qualified to receive the second tranche of SAP assistance are the towns of Atok, Bakun, Bokod, Buguias, Itogon, Kabayan, Kapangan, Kibungan, Mankayan, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay. ###

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues distribution of the second tranche of the emergency cash subsidy under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) to its intended beneficiaries

As of July 29, DSWD has so far disbursed almost P46.5 billion to over 6.9 million family-beneficiaries of the program. The number includes more than 1.3 million Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries; over 3.7 million low-income, non-4Ps families; and almost 1.9 million “waitlisted” families nationwide.

DSWD is exerting all efforts to complete the distribution of the assistance to qualified beneficiaries, through manual and digital payouts, by the end of July. For geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) and conflict-affected areas, payouts may be extended until the second week of August due to mobility constraints.

In a bid to expedite the provision of aid, the Department came up with innovations through the help of its partners from other national government agencies, development partners, and private groups, such as the use of a mobile and website application, the ReliefAgad, to easily capture beneficiary details; and the engagement of Financial Service Providers (FSPs) for the digital payout of the assistance.

Beneficiaries who have registered through ReliefAgad have started to receive their SAP through DSWD’s partner-FSPs, including GCash, Paymaya, Starpay, RCBC, Robinsons Bank, and Unionbank. More than 5.2 million beneficiaries have received the cash subsidy through digital mode of payment via the six FSPs.

DSWD continues to urgently process the payroll for the digital payout of the SAP to the remaining beneficiaries. The Department has already pre-funded or transferred funds for the SAP of more than 4.8 million beneficiaries to its bank accounts and mother wallet accounts maintained by its partner FSPs. The number includes 1,286,551 families who will receive their subsidy from GCash; 337,768 from Paymaya; 682,639 from RCBC; 99,745 from Robinsons Bank; 1,890,263 from Starpay; and 537,668 from Unionbank. Some 50,459 will receive their SAP from Landbank of the Philippines.

Simultaneous with the digital payout is the conduct of manual payouts by DSWD Field Offices (FOs) for beneficiaries who do not have access to the Internet and payout partners of FSPs, as well as those in far-flung areas.

According to DSWD Secretary Rolando D. Bautista, DSWD faced challenges in the implementation of the program, but it remains committed to deliver the aid to families in need.

“Hindi naging madali ang mga tinahak natin. Maraming pagsubok ang ating hinarap. Sa katunayan, marami sa ating mga kawani ang nag-sa-sakripisyo at patuloy na hinaharap ang banta ng COVID-19 upang ang ayuda ay maihatid sa ating mga kababayan. Nais kong ipaabot na sa kabila ng lahat ng problema at pagsubok, hindi natitinag ang DSWD,”  Secretary Bautista said.

DSWD assured that it is using all means to expeditiously deliver the SAP cash subsidy to low-income family-beneficiaries to help provide for their basic needs amid the pandemic. ###

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista (2^nd from left), Korean Ambassador to the Philippines HAN Dong-man (2^nd from right),  DSWD Undersecretary for Disaster  Response Management Group Felicisimo Budiongan (left), and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Philippines Deputy Director Hwang Jaesang (right) sign the deed of donation and acceptance for the rice donation from the Government of the Republic of Korea to support the relief efforts of the Department amid the COVID-19 crisis. 

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) received the rice donation from the Government of the Republic of Korea for poor and vulnerable families in Metro Manila and neighboring areas who have been affected by the community quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista received the donation from Korean Ambassador to the Philippines HAN Dong-man in a simple turnover ceremony on July 17 at the DSWD National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City. Also present during the turnover ceremony were DSWD Undersecretary for Disaster  Response Management Group Felicisimo Budiongan and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Philippines Deputy Director Hwang Jaesang.

The donation composed of 200 metric tons of locally-produced and well-milled rice is valued at USD200,000 or almost PhP10 million.

An estimated 33,334 households or 166,670 individuals are expected to be the recipients of the donation, which has been made possible through the Emergency Rice Support Project of the KOICA, the grant aid agency of the Korean Government.

The rice stocks were sourced from Filipino farmers groups from Western Visayas, including the San Miguel Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (SMFAC); Iloilo Rice Processing Complex in Pototan, Iloilo; and other local farmers’ cooperatives.

DSWD National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (NRLMB) received the first batch of the rice donation on July 8, 2020 with a shipment of 100 metric tons of rice from Iloilo. The second batch for the remaining 100 metric tons arrived on July 11 and 12.  

The rice donation will be repacked by DSWD and will form part of the Department’s Family Food Packs, which are being provided as resource augmentation support to local government units to help them respond to the food needs of their constituents.

Secretary Bautista thanked the Government of the Republic of Korea for the aid and emphasized that the donation represents the goodwill and warm-heartedness of the South Korean people towards Filipinos.

“During these trying times, we emerge stronger because of our robust partnership and unwavering engagement,” Secretary Bautista said.

“We are grateful for your utmost consideration for our people and we hope that this partnership will continue to prosper in the years to come,” the Secretary added.

For his part, Ambassador HAN noted that, “Korea will continuously expand bilateral aid projects in the public health and social development sectors to contribute to the effort of the Philippine government for overcoming the COVID-19 crisis.”

DSWD assured that the donated rice will reach the intended beneficiaries, specifically, poor and vulnerable families who have been most affected by the ongoing crisis. ###

In line with the thrusts and priorities of the Department to champion the well-being of the welfare givers, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has intensified its psychosocial services by linking up with professional psychosocial support providers to address their mental health concerns.

The Human Resource Management and Development Service (HRMDS), together with its counterpart in the Field Offices as internal service providers, is conducting mental health first response and psychological first aid via teleconferencing and other available platforms while external service providers are offering free services through their support hotlines.

According to Director Leonardo Reynoso, HRMDS head, DSWD encourages “officials and staff to avail of the free well-being coaching/counseling and crisis helpline services offered by our mental health and psycho-social support service partners, such as Mindwell Psychosocial Services and The Masters Psychosocial Services to help them deal with emotional crises, stress, and anxiety.”

To date, around 3,300 DSWD personnel nationwide have benefitted from the mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS) to include stress debriefing, counseling, mindfulness sessions, peer support group, among others.

DSWD also has social workers who are trained on psycho-social first aid and critical incident stress debriefing and can reinforce the efforts of the HRMDS and the service providers.

Meanwhile, as part of its services for the vulnerable sector during this public health emergency, the Department is providing psychosocial interventions to locally stranded individuals as well as to Filipino transferees from Sabah.

Likewise, the Department, as part of its technical assistance and resource augmentation (TARA) function, capacitates local government units (LGUs) to help them better provide psychosocial interventions to their constituents. Based on the Local Government Code of 1991, LGUs are mandated to provide psychosocial services to their constituents, especially those affected by disasters or are experiencing a crisis.

DSWD emphasized that availing of psychosocial services is important in taking care of ones’ mental and emotional well-being in this time of pandemic. ###

Upang masiguro na matutugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng mga mamamayan sa panahon ng pandaigdigang krisis dulot ng pandemya, ang pambansang pamahalaan ay nagpatupad ng Social Amelioration Program (SAP). Ito ay nahahati sa dalawang bahagi- ang Relief at and Recovery. Bawat ahensya ng pamahalaan ay inatasan na tukuyin at ipatupad ang kanilang mga programa at serbisyo sa dalawang bahagi ng SAP para natukoy na 18 milyong pamilyang benepisyaryo.

Sa bahagi ng relief, ang ayudang ipinamamahagi ng iba’t ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan ay nakalaan para tugunan ang mga pangunahing pangangailangan ng mga pamilya at indibidwal na lubhang naapektuhan ng malawakang implementasyon ng community quarantine. Sinisiguro nito na ang mga sektor ay may matibay at sapat na suporta upang sila ay makapag-adjust sa kasalukuyang sitwasyon. Ilan sa mga programang kabilang dito ay ang Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP), pagbibigay ng Food and non-Food Items, COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP), Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko Disinfection/Sanitation Project (TUPAD #BKBK), alternatibong setup ng pagtatrabaho, price freeze atbp. Ilan sa mga programang ito ay natapos na maliban sa Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP) na ipinatutupad ng DSWD hanggang sa kasalukuyan.

Sa ikalawang bahagi naman o Recovery Phase, ang mga programa at serbisyo ay naglalayon na tulungang makapagsimula ulit at makabangon ang mga pamilya at indibidwal na benepisyaryo ng SAP sa pamamagitan ng pag-alalay sa kanilang kabuhayan. Ang mga programa at serbisyong kabilang dito ay para naman sa mga maliliit na negosyo, at sa suporta para sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda.

Ang kabuuang disenyo ng SAP ay batay sa karapatan at kapakanan ng bawat sektor nang may layunin na tulungan ang mga apektadong pamilya na malampasan ang kinakaharap na krisis.

Sa pagpapatuloy ng ikalawang bugso ng pagbibigay ng ayuda para sa relief phase ng SAP, karagdagang limang milyong pamilya pa ang isinama bilang benepisyaryo ng nasabing programa. Patuloy na pinagbubuti ng mga ahensya ng pamahalaan ang kani-kanilang mga proseso upang matiyak na ang inilalaang ayuda ay angkop, sapat at patas.

Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, makipag-ugnayan lamang sa DSWD. ###

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary Joseline Niwane (2^nd row, right) joins the Inter-Agency Task Group Western Mindanao – Management of Returning Filipinos (IATG-MREF) as they welcome Filipino transferees who safely arrived in Bonggao, Tawi-Tawi from Sabah.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other national government agencies welcomed the first batch of Filipino transferees from Sabah on July 4.

Around 305 transferees were met in Bonggao, Tawi-Tawi by DSWD Assistant Secretary Joseline Niwane, the Department’s representative to the Inter-Agency Task Group Western Mindanao for the Management of the Returning Filipinos (IATGWM-MREFs), Secretary Carlito Galvez, Chief Implementer of the National Task Force on COVID-19, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. They were also joined by Minister Raissa Jajurie of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Development, Bangsamoro Automous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MSSD-BARMM), Governor Yshmael Sali of Tawi-Tawi, and Mayor Jimuel Shia Que of Bonggao.

The Department, through its Field Office IX, immediately provided assistance comprising of family food packs, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, and financial assistance of P2,000 each to the transferees.

DSWD said that it will continue to coordinate with concerned national and local government agencies to ensure that the next batch of transferees will also safely arrive in their respective places of origin. ###

A social worker of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) facilitates the payout of financial aid to a locally stranded individual during the Hatid Tulong Grand Send Off at Quirino Grandstand.

In continuation of the efforts to address the needs of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) in Metro Manila, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided more than P5 million worth of financial assistance to some 2,242 LSIs during the government’s Hatid Tulong Grand Send Off activity on July 4 and 5, 2020 at the Quirino Grandstand.

Hatid Tulong is a transport assistance initiated by different national government agencies to aid LSIs as they return to their respective provinces.

As part of the health and safety protocol, the LSIs underwent rapid testing from the Department of Health (DOH) for the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) before they received travel authorization from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Aside from the cash assistance provided  through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), the Department’s Field Offices will also distribute Family Food Packs (FFPs) to the LSIs once they reach their respective hometowns.

The LSIs are also required to undergo a second screening and a mandatory 14-day quarantine to ensure that they are free from COVID-19.

DSWD will continue its coordination with concerned agencies to ensure the provision of assistance to remaining LSIs in Metro Manila. ###

In continuation of the efforts to address the needs of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) in Metro Manila, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with other government agencies, held a Hatid Tulong Grand Send-Off activity on July 4 and 5, 2020 at the Quirino Grandstand.

Hatid Tulong was a transport assistance initiative by different national government agencies to aid LSIs as they return to their respective provinces. More than 2,000 LSIs comprised of students, workers, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), and local tourists availed of the free transportation assistance.

The first day of the send-off catered to LSIs returning to Mindanao, while the second day assisted stranded locals traveling back to the Visayas and Northern Luzon.

As part of the health and safety protocol, the LSIs underwent rapid testing from the Department of Health (DOH) for the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) before they received a travel authorization from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Meanwhile, DSWD provided financial assistance to the LSIs under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS). DSWD Field Offices will also distribute hot meals or Family Food Packs (FFPs) to the returnees once they reach their hometowns.

The LSIs are also required to undergo a second screening and a mandatory 14-day quarantine in their respective hometowns to ensure that they are free from COVID-19.

DSWD will continue its coordination with concerned agencies to ensure the provision of assistance to LSIs. ###