Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured the members of the Senate Committee on Finance that the agency will continue pushing for more plantilla positions for the job security of its employees, especially those who are under contracts of service (COS) and job orders (JOs) and have been with the Department for a long time.
“We do extend assistance to them [personnel] regularly. But what we will do is we will keep on lobbying. Sinubmit na namin ‘yan and every time nag pro-propose kami ng budget, nilalagyan talaga namin ng allocation. We’ll keep on pushing for more plantilla positions,” DSWD Secretary Gatchalian said in response to the query of the members of the Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Senator Imee Marcos, on the issue of employee regularization during the agency’s 2025 budget deliberation on Monday (September 16).
Secretary Gatchalian pointed out the DSWD has submitted a three-year plan to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to migrate COS and JO personnel to regular employees.
According to the DSWD chief, the agency considered the length of service of its personnel under COS and JO positions in the submitted plan.
“Madam Chair, parehas po kami ng pananalig ni Senator Raffy Tulfo. Naniniwala ako kasi meron po silang institutional knowledge, nagsakripisyo po talaga. We have submitted to DBM and to the committee also a three-year plan sana to migrate all of them to regular positions… yung sinubmit po namin madam chair na plan looks into tenure yung mga pinakamatagal muna na social worker ang mauuna,” the DSWD chief pointed out.
Secretary Gatchalian said the DSWD is embarking on the gradual transition of COS and JOs into more stable positions, citing the migration of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) personnel to contractual employees.
This update was also mentioned by the DSWD chief during the House deliberation on the DSWD’s proposed budget for 2025 last August 21.
“Every budget season we propose a higher number for regularization of our employees. But I do understand the DBM’s position on tight fiscal space. Pero I just want to point out that this year we have managed, hindi man regular, around 4,000 plus of our 4Ps links have been converted to contractual,” Secretary Gatchalian emphasized.
The DSWD chief said these 4Ps contractual employees are now entitled to statutory incentives and benefits that are similar to those occupying regular positions.
DSWD has now 219 personnel in 166 ‘Malasakit Centers’ nationwide
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has deployed 219 personnel in 166 Malasakit Centers located in government-run hospitals across the country.
Secretary Rex Gatchalian reported the data during the Senate Committee on Finance’s deliberation on the DSWD’s proposed 2025 budget on Monday (September 16). The finance committee is chaired by Senator Imee Marcos.
The DSWD chief said the presence of agency personnel in Malasakit Centers will ensure that indigent and financially-incapacitated patients are immediately attended to and help them avail of the Department’s cash and medical assistance.
“Madam chair, for the latest data, we have done full deployment… as of September 2024, we have 219 personnel across 166 Malasakit Centers,” Secretary Gatchalian said in response to the query of Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on the number of DSWD staff complement in the different Malasakit Centers.
The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop located in various public hospitals nationwide where indigent and financially-incapacitated patients can access assistance from participating government agencies such as the DSWD, PhilHealth and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), among others.
The DSWD, as one of the participating agencies, extends medical and financial aid to patients in need under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
To deliver these aid, Secretary Gatchalian said the DSWD ensures that agency personnel are always mobilized across the centers to process and approve requests for the urgent financial and medical needs of indigent patients.
“Sa ating mga Malasakit Centers…ang total deployment ay 219… Isa na lang yung hospital na walang full presence dahil nire-renovate pa, which is the Veteran’s Hospital. Inaantay na lang namin matapos yung construction, then we will deploy that last remaining social worker,” the DSWD chief pointed out.
