DSWD to move away from ‘ayuda’ programs

MANILA, Philippines — Without removing “social welfare” from its mandate, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is slowly carrying out the “development” aspect of its work in helping the poorest of the poor.

“We want to move away from being just an ayuda agency. Now, we’re also gearing towards the ‘development’ side. But, we are not abandoning our mandate on financial aid,” Undersecretary for innovations Edu Punay told reporters in a media forum yesterday.

Punay clarified, however, that dole outs to deserving and qualified beneficiaries will still remain. “We just want to do away with mendicancy. This is because our job is not only anchored on social welfare, because there’s a ‘development’ task as well.”

According to him, this was the rationale behind the new programs initiated by Secretary Rex Gatchalian who wants “data-driven” projects undertaken on a “whole-of-government approach” to include not just the national government but also the local government units.

These include the Food Stamp Program that provides P3,000 to one million beneficiaries at the “bottom” of 4.5 million 4Ps beneficiaries, “Oplan Pag-abot” to keep beggars off the streets, and “Tara Basa Tutoring program” that gives cash to college students who teach Grade 2 students from indigent families.

“This is the design of the program. We focus on development and we want to capacitate them to remove them from living below the poverty line. We’re bringing an enabling environment that does not only involve cash assistance,” Punay, a former journalist, said.

“That is why these programs need big collaboration with the Departments of Health, of Labor and Employment and of Education. Very much like 4Ps because we want them to be healthy and they should stay in school. We have to address malnutrition, there’s stunting among children,” he added.

Punay explained further that the DSWD is “helping them by giving them tools on how to be out of the poverty line because we firmly believe that Filipinos are not lazy. The only thing lacking for them is opportunity and an enabling environment. We also want to address involuntary hunger.”

He noted that the model of Oplan: Pag-Abot was Valenzuela City, where Secretary Gatchalian served as mayor and congressman.

“This was 100 percent successful in Valenzuela. Now, there are no more beggars there. We will implement this in NCR first,” Punay said.

“This is a rights-based approach. We’re not forcing them, but our social workers keep coming back to convince them,” he added, noting that the beneficiaries are given options like the Balik Probinsiya program and the DSWD’s assistance to individuals in crisis situations and sustainable livelihood program.