The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) actively provides various programs and services for the underprivileged. The DSWD provides these services to the poorest of the poor, the sick, and the aged who cannot afford to buy their own food and other necessities.
DSWD actively provides various programs and services for the underprivileged. They provide these services to the poorest of the poor, the sick, and the aged who cannot afford to buy their own food and other necessities. The DSWD also assists unemployed individuals in finding employment through its various livelihood programs, particularly agriculture-related ones.
There are many programs and services DSWD provides to Filipinos in order to help alleviate poverty and improve their quality of life. Some of these programs and services include the Supplementary Feeding Program, Sustainable Livelihood Program, Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps, and many more.
These projects are not only limited to financial assistance, but also include skills training, job placement, and other forms of support. The DSWD also has a hotline where you can report any cases of child abuse or neglect. You may also visit your nearest DSWD field office to find out more about the different programs and services they offer.
If you want to know more about the DSWD programs and services, you can check out the list below:
1. Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a national government initiative that provides cash grants to the poorest families in the country, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18. It’s modeled after similar programs in other countries that have lifted millions of people out of poverty.
Here is the breakdown of cash distribution of the program based on identified categories:
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a national government initiative that provides cash grants to the poorest families in the country, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18. It’s modeled after similar programs in other countries that have lifted millions of people out of poverty.
This grants poor families with children 0-18 years old and pregnant mothers.
- P750/month/family for health
- P300/month/child – Elementary
- P500/month/child – Junior HS
- P700/month/child – Senior HS
- P600/month/household for rice assistance
2. KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP
KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP, otherwise known as the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services-National Community-Driven Development Program, is a government program that aims to provide comprehensive social services to the communities. It was approved on January 18, 2013, by the NEDA Board, which was chaired by then President Benigno Aquino III.
The goal of the Kahirapan-based Kalahi-CIDSS-NCDDP is to expand the scope and success of its predecessor, which was established in 2003. Through the use of community-driven development, the program has been able to improve the lives of its local communities.
CDD is a strategy that helps poor municipalities identify challenges around reducing poverty and make informed decisions on a range of locally identified options for development. It gives control of resources to address local poverty to communities, as well as builds the capacity of both states (including local governments) and civil society stakeholders to provide assistance and respond to calls for support from poor communities as they implement development initiatives.
The project is designed to empower communities in targeted municipalities to achieve improved access to services and to participate in more inclusive local planning, budgeting, implementation, and disaster risk reduction and management.
3. SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM
The DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program aims to help communities in the Philippines develop sustainable livelihoods. It encourages poor families to engage in market-driven micro-enterprises and explore employment opportunities.
Through the program, participants can choose between two tracks: micro-enterprise development and employment facilitation. The agency helps them organize their groups and develop their own strategies to sustain their livelihoods.
Through this partnership with the private and public sectors, the agency can provide various services such as financial literacy training and employment opportunities.
Self-employment Assistance-Kaunlaran Associations (SKAs) are groups of individuals who are interested in establishing and managing their own enterprises. These will help them maximize their resources and establish viable businesses.
By establishing and managing their own businesses, the SKAs can improve their mobility and access essential social services. They can also invest in education and health, which are some of their basic needs. The goal of the program is to break the cycle of poverty and improve the lives of the poor.
The program seeks to improve the program participants’ socio-economic status by increasing their awareness about their rights and responsibilities as citizens, and by helping them to become more active in community affairs.
Modalities:
- Technical-Vocational Skills Training
- Pre-Employment Assistance
- Cash for Building Livelihood Assistance
- Seed Capital Fund
4. Protective Services for Individuals and Families in Difficult Circumstances
As the leader in the field of social protection, the DSWD is mandated to provide the best possible service to the citizens. It is also responsible for addressing the various needs of the poor and vulnerable members of society. This includes implementing programs and projects that are aimed at improving the quality of life for these individuals.
The following is an amendment to Memorandum Circular No. 11, which was issued in 2019 to provide updated guidelines on the implementation of assistance to individuals in crisis situations. The DSWD continuously provides various social welfare and protection services to help individuals and families affected by the COVID-19 health crisis. These include the provision of assistance to individuals in crisis situations.
Due to the seriousness of the situation since the start of the pandemic, the number of people seeking assistance from the DSWD has increased. This is because of the various community quarantine measures that have been implemented in the country. These include the provision of food, transportation, and medical assistance and other support services through cash aid.
The DSWD is also expected to enhance its policy in addressing the increasing number of people who are seeking assistance from the agency. This is because the agency is expected to accommodate the growing number of clients who are requesting social safety nets.
In line with the recommendations of the IATF-EID, the DSWD is also expected to implement a new normal approach to addressing the increasing number of people who are seeking assistance from the agency. This will be carried out through the implementation of the agency’s AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations)
The services under AICS are the following:
1. Financial and Material Assistance – Financial assistance is the provision of monetary support in the form of outright cash and/or guarantee letter to augment the resources of the client whereas material assistance is the provision of non-food items. These are further classified into:
- Transportation Assistance – Provided, however, that transportation assistance shall be limited to clients seeking assistance for essential travels within the Philippines, as authorized in M.C. No. 11, series of 2019.
- Medical Assistance – assistance with hospitalization costs, drug costs, and other medical treatments and procedures. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and in anticipation of the possible spread of other viruses and diseases, this Circular included modifications to the provision for medical assistance.
- Burial Assistance – financial assistance to defray funeral and related expenses, including but not limited to transportation of the deceased’s remains to the deceased’s residence and/or burial site in accordance with existing family customary practices, particularly among Indigenous Peoples and Moros.
- Educational Assistance – a type of financial assistance provided to eligible students to help defray school expenses and/or the cost of sending students/children to school, with priority given to working students in public high schools, vocational/technical schools, state colleges, and universities.
- Food Assistance – the provision of assistance to clients in order to meet their basic needs for food and other necessities. The assistance may be in the form not limited to the following: food packs distribution or outright cash or voucher.
- Cash assistance for other support services – outright cash assistance provided to individuals and families in extremely difficult circumstances where the need does not fall under the previous assistance.
2. Psychosocial Intervention – a group of non-biomedical interventions aimed at changing a person’s behavior and relationship with society in order to reduce the effects of crisis-related stress. It may include, but is not limited to, cognitive or behavioral therapies. Essentially, it entails providing immediate relief for psychological and emotional issues under certain conditions.
3. Referral to Other Services – refers to assistance that is not available at the CIU or SWAD Satellite Office but can be obtained through other resources and/or network referrals to appropriate agencies for legal services, psychosocial interventions, and even admissions to residential facilities for temporary shelter are all part of this.
The beneficiaries are the individuals and/or families who are indigent, vulnerable, disadvantaged, or otherwise in crisis situation based on the assessment of the Social Workers.
The eligibility of the client to avail of the services shall be determined during the interview and scrutiny of the supporting documents presented. The social worker shall discern the capacity of the family to address the problem by looking keenly on the available resources that the family could access or utilize, and the assessment of the social worker shall be the basis for recommendation.
5. Alternative Family Care Program
In order to help children in need of an adoptive family, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has passed a Domestic Adoption Law. The law mandates the DSWD to facilitate the provision of immediate and permanent placement of a child legally available for adoption, needing an adoptive family.
Domestic Adoption Law was passed into law on February 25, 1998, while its IRR was passed on October 30, 1998.
Children who are legally free or eligible for adoption may be adopted by a family that can provide them with love, protection, and opportunities for growth and development.
An alternative family care program is a type of care that provides temporary or permanent placement services for children whose parents can’t provide for their basic needs. It can be caused by various factors, such as illness and poverty.
6. Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens
The DSWD social pension is a monthly stipend for poor Filipinos over the age of 60 who qualify for assistance. This benefit is designed to help them meet their basic needs, such as food, shelter, clothing, and medicine.
Republic Act 9994, otherwise known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003, provides indigent senior citizens with a monthly stipend of PHP500.00 to augment their daily subsistence and other medical needs. Those who can qualify for this stipend are:
Indigent Senior Filipino Citizens who are:
- 60 years old and above
- Receiving no pension from GSIS, SSS, AFPMBAI/Armed Forces & Police Mutual Benefit Association, Inc, and other insurance companies
- Have no regular source of income
- Have no financial assistance from his or her relatives to support the basic needs
- Are frail, sickly or with disability
The Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens was implemented nationwide in order to provide financial assistance to senior citizens who are not able to work. The pension program considers the following priorities, taking into consideration the following conditions and eligibility criteria of senior citizens and subject to the availability of funds:
Age:
- First Priority – 80 years old and above;
- Second Priority – 70-79 years old;
- Third Priority – 65 – 69 years old
Economic Status:
Economic Status is determined by the local social welfare and development based in city or municipal halls. A social worker will help determine if you are eligible for a pension based on your age (the older you are, the more likely you will be eligible), as well as your economic status (if you have no permanent source of income). If so, an application will be sent out to you once your social worker has approved it.
You can also visit any Senior Citizen Center near you for more information about the program’s eligibility requirements.
7. Supplementary Feeding Program
The Early Years Act of 2013, or Republic Act 10410, provides for the establishment of child development centers (CDCs) in public schools. This law provides that all children enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools will be provided with two meals a day. The additional food served is called the “supervised neighborhood play” meal, which is intended to provide nutrition and encourage physical activity during school hours as well as afterschool care.
The Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act, or Republic Act 11037, supplements the provisions of RA 10410 by providing additional funding for school feeding programs. It also requires that these programs be implemented in all schools nationwide by 2022.
The DSWD’s Supplementary Feeding Program provides food to children who are currently enrolled in child development centers. This program is part of the government’s efforts to provide early childhood education and development services.
The program provides food to children at the start and end of their school day. It is carried out through the provision of hot meals and dry rations during break or snack time. These are used to supplement the children’s nutritional intake and improve their overall health. This support is carried out through the use of locally produced and indigenous food products.
Through the program, the DSWD aims to improve the health and well-being of children and their parents. It also helps parents and caregivers develop effective nutrition and hygiene practices. The children are weighed at the start of their feeding period and for three months thereafter. After 120 feeding days, the children’s nutritional status will be determined.
8. Bangsamoro Umpungan sa Nutrisyon (BangUn Project)
Presidential Decree No. 603, or Child and Youth Welfare Code, is a comprehensive community-based, culturally-responsive convergence of services that address the high incidence of hunger and malnutrition among children in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The code is an inter-agency approach that will engage parents, communities, local government units (LGUs), national government agencies (NGA), and civil society organizations (CSOs). The goal of this code is to reduce the incidence of malnutrition among children.
The goal of the Bangsamoro Umpungan sa Nutrisyon Project is to address the increasing incidence of malnutrition and hunger among children in Muslim Mindanao.
The project aims to save the lives of children who are at risk of dying due to malnutrition. It also aims to improve the nutritional status of those who are severely underweight. It additionally aims to build resilient communities by supporting parents and guardians in accessing nutrition-support programs.
The project’s components include nutrition direct services, which include health check-up and micronutrient supplementation, as well as education and advocacy programs. These include responsible parenthood sessions, nutrition literacy classes, and events related to health and nutrition. It additionally aims to build resilient communities through the provision of cash-for-work, livelihood skills training, access to potable water, and the production of indigenous food.
The project’s beneficiaries are the following: children aged 0-4 years in communities, children aged 4-6 years in Muslim schools, children aged 12 to 16 years in public schools that are not covered by the Department of Education’s feeding programs, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
9. Implementation of RA 10868 or the Centenarian Act of 2016
The “CENTENARIAN ACT OF 2016” is a law that provides various privileges and benefits to Filipino centenarians. It was enacted to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the country’s founding. The eligible beneficiary of this program will receive a cash gift of one hundred thousand pesos from the national government.
The President of the Philippines has signed a letter of felicitation for the living centenarian. A Posthumous Plaque of Recognition will also be given to the deceased centenarian’s surviving relative.
A centenarian residing in a municipality or city can also receive a cash incentive and a Plaque of Recognition form the local government or city. The Department of Interior and Local Government has issued guidelines and directives to ensure that the program is implemented properly.
To celebrate the National Respect for Centenarians Day, every 1st Sunday of October is celebrated as part of the annual Elderly Filipino Week (EFW). This national event honors our centenarians for their longevity.
Centenarian Cash Gift is given to eligible centenarians through cash payout or issuance of a check.
The target beneficiaries are centenarians—all Filipinos, who have reached one hundred years old and above.
The following documents can be submitted to the city or municipality to be endorsed to DSWD field office:
- Birth Certificate or Philippine Passport;
- In the absence of these two documents, any of the following primary IDs:
- Senior Citizen’s Identification Card or Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) ID;
- Other Philippine-government-issued IDs:
- LTO-issued Driver’s License
- SSS ID
- GSIS ID
- PRC License
- Postal ID
- Voter’s ID
- COMELEC certification
- Others – showing Filipino citizenship and year of birth
10. Tax Reform Cash Transfer Project
The government’s comprehensive tax reform program aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the tax system. It complements ongoing economic, budget, and customs reforms to improve the competitiveness of the business environment and reduce poverty.
The program’s first phase includes various measures aimed at improving the tax system’s efficiency and effectiveness. Some of these include the reduction of personal income tax, the establishment of a value-added tax base, and the removal of various exemptions. Other measures include the increase of the excise on oil products, the introduction of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax, and the removal of various tax exemptions.
The tax reform program aims to protect the poor and vulnerable by implementing various social measures. One of these is the implementation of the Unconditional Cash Transfer program. This is a cash transfer program that provides financial assistance to the poor.
The Unconditional Cash Transfer Program (UCT) is part of the TRAIN Law’s tax reform mitigation program. It provides cash grants to low-income families and individuals who may be unable to benefit from the lower tax rates due to rising prices. These guidelines are issued to ensure that the program is carried out properly.
The program aims to provide cash grants to the poor and individuals who may not be able to benefit from the lower tax rates. It additionally targets those who are adversely affected by rising prices.
In line with its efforts to help the poor, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been providing unconditional cash transfers (UCT) to households in the first to seventh income deciles of the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, and the social pension program for a period of three years from the effectivity of RA 10963.
The UCT is a financial aid that beneficiaries can use for their daily needs and other expenses. It is released monthly through bank deposits or through direct credit to individual beneficiaries’ accounts at accredited banks.
The UCT refers to the social welfare benefit under the TRAIN in the amount of P200 per month in 2018; and P300 per month in 2019 and 2020. UCT program aims to protect and improve the lives of the poor and vulnerable by providing welfare programs without any conditions upon the receivers’ action.
In a nutshell, UCT is a cash transfer program that aims to help low-income households cope with rising prices of goods and services.
11. Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons (RRPTP)
The goal of the recovery and reintegration program for trafficked individuals is to provide them with the necessary services and support to get back on their feet. Through the efforts of the anti-trafficking task force in the region, social workers are able to respond to cases of trafficking.
The Comprehensive Anti-Trafficking Act of 2003 (Republic Act 9208) established the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), which coordinates and monitors the implementation of all anti-trafficking programs, projects, and activities. The IACAT is composed of representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Justice, Department of Labor and Employment, Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police and Presidential Action Center.
The Comprehensive Anti-Trafficking Act also provides for the establishment of a comprehensive package of programs and services that ensure adequate recovery and reintegration services for trafficked persons. It is implemented through the DSWD Field Offices in coordination with other concerned agencies such as the Department of Justice.
12. Adoption and Foster Care
The agency provides adoption and foster care services to children who have been neglected, abandoned, or mistreated by their caretakers. This type of service includes psychological and social support as well as legal aid—material assistance is also provided when necessary.
13. Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB)
Bottom-up budgeting is a method that allows local governments to have more say over how their budgets are constructed. This program is supported through the DSWD’s efforts to provide local government units with the necessary tools and resources for budget management.
14. Center & Residential Care Facilities
Family Care Services are intended as a safe haven for vulnerable and disadvantaged families and individuals during times of crisis.
15. Disaster Response Operations
The DSWD is responsible for responding to disasters. This includes providing emergency aid to individuals and communities affected by natural disasters and violent acts caused by humans.
16. Gender and Development
Gender is a set of relationships between individuals, with each individual being male or female. The government should take into account the effects that development has on various aspects of community life when planning, implementing, monitoring and reviewing policies related to economic growth.
17. International Social Welfare Services for Filipino (ISWSFN)
The ISWSFN is a program that provides financial, legal and other support services to foreign Filipinos in the Philippines. Assistance can be provided through embassy staff or independent volunteer organizations.
18. Listahanan
This Listahanan program uses the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction to identify and locate poor people in the country to benefit from this program.
19. PAMANA
PAMANA (Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan) seeks to provide social services and improve governance by working with local communities.
20. DSWD Educational Assistance Program
The DSWD provides financial assistance to individuals who are in need of educational support. The program is open to graduate and undergraduate students with cash benefits of up to PHP 4,000. To apply, individuals should contact their nearest DSWD office.
21. DSWD Centers and Institutions Reception and Study Center for Children (RSCC)
The RSCC is a 24-hour facility that provides rehabilitation, protection, and guidance to children who have been neglected or exploited. It offers care and protection for special-needs children, including those who need constant supervision.
The RSCC also provides a variety of social work services to help children who have been abused. These include providing them with support and resources so that they can develop safe skills in their lives.
In addition to these services, the RSCC also provides case management and placement. It seeks to improve its staff’s and service providers’ efficiency and expertise through this process.
22. Technical Assistance and Resource Augmentation Program
The TARP is a project created by the DSWD and other international organizations to provide technical assistance, resource augmentation, and policy advice.
Through the use of training, research and networking, TARP aims to strengthen government agencies and programs so they can address social protection issues such as poverty reduction. The evaluation of programs and policies relies on data collected by surveys.
23. Regulatory Services
The program’s overall objective is to ensure that all social protection activities are carried out in a manner that is geared toward empowering and educating the beneficiaries. In addition, it aims to enhance the level of service that local government units provide to their constituents.
Through its various partners, the TARP also aims to improve the monitoring and evaluation of local government social protection programs. This process involves working with non-government organizations and civil society groups.
24. Programs and Services for Persons with Disabilities
The DSWD is the primary agency responsible for programs and services that benefit people with disabilities. It develops and implements these initiatives in order to improve their lives, by:
– The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons Act of 2002, which prohibits discrimination against disabled people and their families, offers legal protection to people with disabilities and their families.
– The Unified Local Government Code of 1991, which maintains that local government units are required to guarantee that all of their buildings, facilities, and other infrastructure are accessible to people with disabilities.
25. Lingap at Gabay Para sa May Sakit
The DSWD’s Lingap at Gabay Para Sa May Sakit program offers Filipinos free access to health care. This initiative, part of the agency’s ongoing mission to provide low-income individuals with comprehensive medical coverage, is aimed at addressing rising rates of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases among poor communities across the Philippines.
To extend the government’s health insurance coverage to more poor individuals, President Aquino signed Executive Order No. 391 on December 16th of last year. This initiative aims to provide insurance coverage for the millions who are not covered by existing programs, such as PhilHealth and Senior Citizens’ Benefits Pension Fund.
26. Yakap Bayan After Care Program
The government provides financial and medical assistance to families with members who are part of the 4Ps Program as a way of providing aftercare for them.
The 4Ps program provides assistance targeted toward families whose members are enrolled in the program. The program was made available to the public in September 2011.
27. Services to Distressed Overseas Filipinos
The welfare of Filipino nationals has been conceptualized and implemented through the deployment of social workers in other countries. These workers provide various social services such as psychosocial assistance and protection to migrants.
The following types of services and interventions can be provided to overseas Filipinos in distress and the undocumented:
– Psychosocial Services. These include individual, group, and family counselling. Also included are psychosocial processing (PSP); critical incident stress management (CISM)/stress debriefing (CISD); and socio-cultural activities.
28. Disaster Response and Rehabilitation Program
The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, also known as Republic Act No. 10121, is a law that aims to reduce the impact of disasters on the Philippine population by providing emergency services during or immediately after the occurrence of a disaster.
The Disaster Response and Rehabilitation Program is composed of relief assistance, cash/food-for-work, emergency shelter assistance, and rehabilitation. The government will provide these services to help those affected during or immediately after a disaster.
29. Quick Response Fund
The DSWD has received a total of P600 million from the DBM for its Quick Response Fund, which will be used to provide rehabilitation and relief services to individuals and families affected by natural disasters.
The Quick Response Fund (QRF) is utilized to augment the resources of the Local Government Units (LGUs) during the height of disasters. The QRF is a fund that allows LGUs to apply for additional funds in order to help them cope with emergencies.
Also Read: How to Apply DSWD Travel Clearance for Minors
Infographics: DSWD MAJOR PROGRAMS/PROJECTS
Here is an infographic on the status report on the implementation of the DSWD programs and projects as of 2020. As you know, the DSWD has several ongoing programs and projects, but on this list are the primary ones implemented on the national level.
Video: DSWD KALAHI-CIDSS Program
In this video produced by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, we see how the DSWD’s Kalahi-CIDSS program has empowered communities to take charge of their own growth and development.
The program aims to help transform communities into self-sufficient, sustainable, and empowered places wherein people can live in peace, harmony, and prosperity.
Summary
The DSWD has various programs and services that they provide to the public. The DSWD is also a great resource for those who need help or advice regarding their concerns about social services. The DSWD is one of the government offices that people should look up to when in need of help due to its wide range of programs and services.
Because of this, it’s important to have an understanding of the role and capabilities of the agency in order to know what they can do for you. The DSWD is a government agency that is responsible for providing social services to the public. It administers programs that help Filipinos cope with different kinds of situations.