DSWD says 2024 a challenging, but outstanding year

Yearender

MANILA, Philippines — The year 2024 may have been a challenging year for the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with the country suffering severe calamities, but it was also an outstanding one for the agency.

According to Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the agency was able to expand its reach in terms of social welfare last 2024, especially with new programs like the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP), launched in May 2024.

The program provides assistance to wage earners who may not have access to the regular forms of assistance by the DSWD since they do not belong to the poorest of the poor population.

“With AKAP coming into the picture in 2024, we were able to reach more people that need help, especially those who are minimum wage earners, who were experiencing (financial) difficulties because of inflation,” Gatchalian said in an interview.

He noted the DSWD also made “big strides” in 2024 with automation, as the agency started the pilot testing of automating the issuance of permits to foundations, non-governmental organizations and agencies doing social work.  

Before the year ended, the DSWD also opened its “Walang Gutom” Kitchen, wherein food donated by restaurants, hotels and food establishments is served by the agency to families in street situations and those experiencing voluntary hunger.

Gatchalian assured the said families that the food served in the soup kitchen is not discarded food or so-called pagpag, but are rather fresh and nutritious food given by food establishments.

“It’s the country’s first food bank and soup kitchen at the same time. There is an enabling law that was never implemented,” he said, referring to Republic Act 9803 or the Food Donation Act of 2009 which the DSWD is mandated to implement.

Among the other projects introduced by DSWD in 2024 include the “Angel Pets” program which was designed to facilitate the rehabilitation and reintegration of vulnerable groups by “incorporating positive and enjoyable interactions with animals into the therapeutic and supportive processes.”

Under this program, pets are used in conducting psychosocial counseling or therapies for people who have been abandoned or subjected to abuse and exploitation.

Expanded reach

Gatchalian added that while 2024 was a challenging one for the DSWD, owing to various calamities that hit the country such as super typhoons Pepito, Carina and Ofel, this year allowed the agency to expand its reach.

He said the DSWD was able to dispatch close to nine million family food packs (FFP) all throughout the year.

“That’s the biggest in DSWD history – dispatched and not produced, meaning actually distributed to people. That’s still an estimate because we still have two weeks to go (to do an inventory),” he added.

Gatchalian maintained that while natural calamities were “unprecedented,” 2024 was a “banner year” for DSWD because they were able to “co-optimize.”

The DSWD also made a mark last year in terms of assisting former members of the Moro National Liberation Front and Moro Islamic Liberation Front who returned to the fold of the law.

Social Welfare Undersecretary for Inclusive, Sustainable Peace And Special Concerns Alan Tanjusay said more than 4,000 former ex-combatants from Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte received various aid from the agency in 2024.

He pointed out that they partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to provide skills training to the former combatants.

“Additionally, we want to help former combatants to develop new skills and acquire training certifications. That is why we coordinated with TESDA so they can offer vocational training for them,” he explained.