DAVAO City-The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) rebuffs complaints on non-renewal of contract of field workers.

DSWD Human Resource Personnel Head Loreta Anas said that the management observes renewal criteria as process of hiring field staffs. She explained that DSWD-HR consistently conducts re-evaluation and assessment before renewing field workers, adding that the department has the prerogative on the renewal after the contract expires. The set criteria are based on the worker’s performance and evaluation done on them, she said.

“The government cannot afford to spend much money on employees who are not performing well. We are promoting good governance, transparency and credibility. The management really screens out applicants/workers before hiring or renewing them so that the goals and objectives of the project they are working on will be attained,” Anas further emphasized.

In preparation for the Second Round Household Assessment through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction or Listahanan, the Department already conducted screening to more than 3,000 applicants in all provinces of the region.

“We are still coming up with the final lists of hired applicants. We haven’t posted the names yet since our budget for the Second Round has not been downloaded yet,” Raquel Nuñez, DSWD Policy and Plans Division Chief and National Household Targeting Unit Focal clarified.

Nuñez added that the target households to be assessed in this project have doubled up and the process is Saturation for rural barangays and Pockets of Poverty for urban barangays. Applicants must be computer literate since they will be using gadgets for the assessment. Encoders were likewise screened out through typing test.

The Department requests applicants for the Second Assessment to watch out for the posting of successful applicants in their provinces and municipalities so they will know if they qualify to be hired or renewed.

Queries or Complaints may be channelled to the Regional Office at DSWD Compound, Suazo Street, Davao City or through telephone nos. (082) 227-1964 /226-2857 local 406 or through email: fo11@dswd.gov.ph. DSWD