The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian welcomes members of the Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG) during a dialogue held at the DSWD Central Office on Tuesday (February 10).
In his message, Secretary Gatchalian welcomed the 29 mayors present and expressed appreciation for their initiative, underscoring the importance of open dialogues between national agencies and local governments to ensure that social protection programs effectively reach communities.
The Mayors’ Dialogue with the DSWD chief forms part of the M4GG’s ongoing engagements with national government agencies (NGAs) to better understand existing programs for local government units (LGUs) and raise key governance and implementation concerns.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, one of the convenors of the M4GG, said the group aims to gain a clearer understanding of DSWD programs and explore areas where LGUs and the Department can further strengthen collaboration.
Also present from the DSWD were Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) and Asst. Secretary Ulysses Hermogenes Casimiro Aguilar of Community Engagement. (CC).
DSWD chief discusses Department policies, programs during dialogue with 29 mayors
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian engaged in a dialogue with members of the Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG) to discuss key policies and programs of the agency on Tuesday (February 10) at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City.
In his message, Secretary Gatchalian, who previously served as three-term mayor of Valenzuela City, underscored his familiarity with local governance as he addressed the 29 local chief executives (LCEs) led by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
“I understand what local government is because I spent a good nine years of my life in the trenches. Kabaro niyo ako. I speak your language. I understand how it is to be mayor,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
One of the key topics raised during the dialogue was the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program, a stop-gap mechanism of the DSWD for Filipinos undergoing crises.
The DSWD chief explained that the AICS program remains needs-based and that LGUs may refer clients to DSWD regional offices, especially if local funds to assist their constituents are insufficient.
Secretary Gatchalian emphasized that the DSWD will accept referrals but it will not affect the assessment of the social workers whether an individual is qualified or not to receive assistance under the program.
“May allocation ang regional office sa amin. Now, pasa niyo sa amin, ‘pag galing sa MSWD (Municipal Social Welfare Division) niyo at ‘di sapat ang pera, gumawa ka ng referral letter, idikit niyo yun sa social worker’s intake. Kahit na isang milyon pa na residente ang ire-refer sa amin, basta kailangan ng tulong, tutulungan po namin,” Secretary Gatchalian explained to the local chief executives (LCEs).
The DSWD chief said LGUs may include a social intake sheet or a social case study signed by their Local/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (L/MSWDO) to help expedite the processing.
“Lagyan niyo ng social worker’s intake, lagyan niyo pa ng referral niyo, malugod ho naming tatanggapin yan,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
Secretary Gatchalian also spotlighted the Walang Gutom Program (WGP) after Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro Mayor Bong Marquez expressed his municipality’s interest to participate in the initiative.
This prompted Secretary Gatchalian to introduce and explain the program, emphasizing that the initiative primarily targets “food poor” households, which can be defined as the poorest of the poor who struggle to access adequate food.
“That’s a pet project of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. For everybody’s information, hindi niyo masyadong kilala ang Walang Gutom Program kasi hindi siya prevalent everywhere. Hindi yun siya for the poor. It’s for the ‘food poor.’ Pinaka-mahirap sa mahirap. Sa huling talaan ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), there are only 750,000 households rated food poor,” the DSWD chief said.
Secretary Gatchalian said the program empowers beneficiaries by allowing them to choose food items from accredited retailers, within a guided list of essentials.
“The power to choose is what we’re teaching our beneficiaries. Hindi dahil mahirap ka at ito lang ang ibibigay sa inyo, yun lang ang kakainin mo. Kundi, hahayaan natin sila na pumili kung ano ang naaayon para sa kanilang pamilya. The lesson we’re teaching them is to empower or to decide for themselves,” Secretary Gatchalian said as he explained that the DSWD accredits retailers that meet basic requirements and provide sufficient food variety.
On disaster response, the DSWD chief assured the LCEs that the Department has 3.6 million family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned nationwide for augmentation.
“‘Pag may bodega kayo, sisiguraduhin ko na may laman yan. We’ll make sure. But right now, we have 3.6 million goods running around 1,000 warehouses. The more warehouses you give me, the more food packs we can store,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
The DSWD chief added that it is under the directive of President Marcos Jr. to ensure the prepositioning of relief goods across the country, allowing for a faster response during calamities.
In his closing message, Secretary Gatchalian signified his openness to continued engagement with LCEs.
“Mayor Benjie, I appreciate these types of forum, and I will continue dialoguing and talking. Sabi mo nga kung kalahati or more than two-thirds hindi nakadalo ngayon, let me know when they are ready. I will set aside time, and I will continue talking,” Secretary Gatchalian said. (CC)
