By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has ordered the agency’s top management of its Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) to ensure the full automation of the inventory management of the Disaster Response Command Center (DRCC).

“We have to perfect the DRCC automation of the inventory management or the Automated Data Management System for Inventory.  Basta ang importante, naka-preposition [relief goods] tayo with an aggressive digitalized system for inventory,” Gatchalian instructed the DRMG officials shortly after the SONA last Monday.

The DSWD chief stressed that the prepositioning of relief goods is an innovation of President Marcos.

“This is the vision of the President. We just put this [prepositioning] into action.  It was started by then Secretary Erwin Tulfo and we built on it,” Gatchalian earlier said in a pre-SONA interview with the Peoples Television Network..

In his 3rd SONA, the President acknowledged that the government has established infrastructures that serve as protection and center for coordination, especially along the delivery of services and relief goods.

“Within the past two years, almost a hundred evacuation centers have already been built. While in January of this year, we started the operations of our Disaster Response Command Center, which shall serve as the central hub for the government’s disaster response efforts,” the  President said.

Since its launch in January,  the DRCC stands as a central hub for disaster monitoring, reporting, and coordination of preparedness and response efforts.

The DRCC utilizes advance information and communication equipment/assets to ensure the seamless collaboration between the DSWD Central Office, DSWD Field Offices (FOs), member-agencies of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), and other stakeholders.

Gatchalian said the DRCC is reinforced by the Mobile Command Centers (MCCs), which  bridge the communication gap during disaster or emergency operations by providing linkage from the disaster-stricken area to the Regional Operations Center (ROC), Disaster Response Command Center (DRCC), or the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC).

Each MCC is equipped with state-of-the-art satellite internet, gadgets, and generators that can be used as a source of power supply and internet connection for communities in disaster areas.

“This means that it can help a lot of affected residents to connect with their loved ones when the power supply in their area is down,” Gatchalian said.

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — In line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to swiftly deliver assistance to those affected by Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has ordered the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) and DSWD field offices to immediately send family food packs and other relief items to typhoon-hit communities.

In a situation briefing led by the President at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Headquarters in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo on Wednesday (24 July 2024), Marcos Jr. directed the DSWD to adjust the distribution of relief items, especially in the areas with the most numbers of affected families.

“Yung distribution ng stockpile ninyo, i-adjust na ninyo. Nakikita na naman natin yung trend kung saan dumadaan, where are the areas that are being hit hardest. As much as possible, doon na tayo mag start prepositioning as a response to the need para hindi tayo mahirapan,” the President pointed out.

During the situation briefing, Special Assistant to the Secretary (SAS) for Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) and Concurrent Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (NRLMB) Leo Quintilla reported the activities and response efforts of the DSWD.

“Mr. President, currently we have a total of around one million family food packs (FFPs) and with a total standby funds and stockpiles funds of Php2.6 billion,” SAS Quintilla said.

The DSWD also maintains more than Php1.2 billion worth of other food and non-food items (FNIs).

According to the NRLMB Concurrent OIC, these stockpiles are in the agency’s disaster response centers, regional offices, and in the last mile warehouses in the LGUs, especially in the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).

The boxes of FFPs and other relief items have been prepositioned even before Typhoon Carina entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

“We still have around 1.6 million available FFPs through our framework agreement with different suppliers that are ready to be drawn down anytime we need additional relief goods to augment the LGUs,” the NLRMB Director said.

Based on the July 24, 6:00 AM report of the DSWD-Disaster Response Operations Management, Information Center (DROMIC), a total of 45,328 families equivalent to 91,062 individuals in 225 barangays in the National Capital Region (NCR), Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, 5 (Bicol), 6 (Western Visayas), 7 (Central Visayas), and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) have been affected by the weather disturbance.

Some 1,702 families or 6,524 persons are currently taking temporary shelter in 126 evacuation centers in the NCR, Regions 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and CALABARZON and MIMAROPA.

The DSWD has earlier set its Disaster Response Command Center (DRCC) on red alert status or all human and material resources are available for duty and deployment.

(el Amigo/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Following the Chief Executive’s well-received State of the Nation Address (SONA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian affirmed that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of Bagong Pilipinas, where hunger is eradicated by 2027, and a single-digit poverty incidence is achieved by the end of his term in 2028, is right on track.

The DSWD chief referred to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report showing that the country’s poverty rate fell to 15.5 percent in 2023 from 18.1 percent in 2021.

“The preliminary data from the PSA showing that the poor population declined to 17.54 million from 19.99 million in 2023 is a good indicator of the effectiveness of the DSWD’s anti-poverty programs,” Gatchalian said.

The PSA defines poverty incidence as the proportion of Filipino families with incomes insufficient to meet their minimum basic food and non-food needs, as estimated by the poverty threshold.

The DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a national poverty reduction strategy and human capital investment program providing conditional cash transfers to poor households for up to seven years to improve health, nutrition, and education.

“There is a misconception that 4Ps is ayuda. On the contrary, it is a development program designed to break intergenerational poverty—poverty passed down to children. Eradicating poverty is a long-term endeavor. President Marcos has directed a whole-of-government, whole-of-nation approach to reduce the poverty incidence to single digits by 2028,” Gatchalian explained.

The 4Ps program, launched in 2008 and institutionalized in 2019 through Republic Act No. 11310 (the 4Ps Act), provides cash grants to 4.4 million households (equivalent to 22 million individuals), ensuring their children receive subsidies to complete elementary and senior high school.

(el Amigo/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — In line with the vision of a progressive society under ‘Bagong Pilipinas’, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian urged members of the business sector on Wednesday (July 17, 2024) to strengthen partnerships with national government agencies and local government units (LGUs) to eradicate hunger and malnutrition in the Philippines.

Gatchalian made the call during the launch of the Kain Tayo Pilipinas (KTP) Movement in Makati City, emphasizing the necessity for a whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approach to tackle these critical issues.

“We can enhance the nutritional status of our Kababayans by fostering and sustaining partnerships at the local, regional, and national levels, ensuring a coordinated approach to sustainable food systems that support our economy, environment, and social structures,” said Gatchalian.

He encouraged business leaders to collaborate closely with LGUs, particularly those recognized in the 2024 Walang Gutom Awards for their effective programs aimed at eliminating hunger and addressing malnutrition at the community level.

“Every locality faces unique challenges—be it geographic, cultural, or social—but many have already developed successful solutions. They seek the partnership of the private sector to scale these initiatives,” Gatchalian noted.

During his address, Gatchalian provided updates on the DSWD’s anti-hunger and nutrition initiatives, including the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP), Bangsamoro Umpungan sa Nutrisyon (BangUN) Project, Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP), and the Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program (FSP).

The KTP movement, spearheaded by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), unites private-sector organizations committed to combatting malnutrition and food insecurity through targeted community-based initiatives.

Alongside Gatchalian, attendees at the launch included Bacnotan, La Union Mayor Divina Fontanilla; DSWD Assistant Secretary for Partnerships Building and Resource Mobilization Ana Maria Paz Rafael; World Bank Senior Country Officer for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand Dr. Clarissa David; and National Nutrition Council (NNC) Executive Director and Assistant Secretary Azucena Dayanghirang.

Leading the private sector contingent was KTP Chairperson Manuel V. Pangilinan, accompanied by KTP Board Member Manolito Tayag; PBSP Executive Director Elvin Ivan Uy; Zuellig Family Foundation President and Executive Director Austere Panadero; Galing Pook Foundation (GPF) Executive Director Georgina Ann Hernandez-Yang; and Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network Secretariat John Echauz.

(el Amigo/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Enraged by the report that a pregnant woman who is a beneficiary of the P10,000 worth of cash aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) was short-changed by a barangay official, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Monday (10 June 2024) ordered the regional director of the DSWD Field Office 11 (Davao Region) to assist in the filing of charges against the corrupt local executive.

It was learned that the unnamed barangay official deducted P8,500 from the P10,000 worth of aid given to a pregnant woman last June 6.

“We are calling on all beneficiaries to never allow anybody to give their cash grants to them. Their grants are for them. And if somebody tries to get it, what they should do is report to the DSWD rather than give the cash grant,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

The DSWD Davao Region field office identified the victim as Anne Villarin, a beneficiary of P10,000 worth of cash aid under the AICS during the June 6 payout in Davao.

A still unnamed individual later told the pregnant Villarin “to remit the P10,000” to her barangay only to find out that the P8,500 was withheld from her and she was only given P1,500 by the barangay official.

“As soon as we saw the complaining victim online, we sent our social workers to see her and they were able to verify her complaint about the original P10,000 cash aid becoming a measly P1,500 after it was remitted to her barangay,” Gatchalian said.

The DSWD chief ordered Davao Regional Director Vanessa Goc-ong to accompany Villarin in filing both administrative and criminal complaints against the barangay official involved.

(el Amigo/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Extending courtesy to presidential sister Senator Imee Marcos and opposition Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Friday vowed to investigate reports that their Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Program is being used to gather signatures for a people’s initiative (PI) to push for charter change (Cha-Cha).

Gatchalian told reporters that he plans to meet with Sen. Marcos and Rep. Manuel, who have earlier claimed that they have received reports that the government’s ayuda programs are being used for Cha-Cha undertaking.

“Sisiguraduhin ko na iimbestigahan namin,” Gatchalian quipped.

However, he pointed out that the guidelines for availing of the AICS have not changed.

“Ina-assure namin ang taumbayan na ang AICS Program, at ang lahat ng program ng DSWD, yung guidelines niya, walang dinaragdag. Kung ano lang ang requirements noon katulad ng basic identification, social worker intake, mananatili na yun lamang ang requirements,” Gatchalian said.

He added: “Wala kaming dinaragdag na bagong mga requirements na paglahok sa kung anu-anong initiative.”

(el Amigo/MNM)