Yearender: Natural, man-made disasters keep DSWD on its toes

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had its hands full in a year littered with natural and man-made catastrophes.

The biggest challenge came in the aftermaths of three destructive storms “Ondoy,” “Pepeng,” and “Santi” which left scores dead and thousands homeless.

“The year challenged the DSWD’s capacity and determination to fulfill its mission. We tried our best and each of us stretched to our limit our efforts to help those who needed our help,” Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral said in her report on the DSWD’s accomplishments in 2009.

The DSWD extended support to victims of natural disasters amounting to more than P1.4 billion covering more than three million families comprising more than 15 million individuals.

Metro Manila, Regions I, II, III, IV-A and B and the Cordillera Administrative Region were the areas most devastated by the deadly typhoons.

The DSWD said the United Nations World Food Program has committed to provide continuing support for early recovery and rehabilitation from January to June 2010.

To facilitate the recovery of displaced families, the DSWD implemented the cash for work (CFW) program to provide temporary employment to some 2,833 families from the National Capital Region and Region IV-A worth P3.7 million. CFW activities include cleaning of debris in evacuation centers, dredging of canals and waterways, and repair of damaged community facilities.

The DSWD continues to support the National Housing Authority (NHA) in relocating displaced families in Metro Manila.

The DSWD is also helping address the rehabilitation needs of 34,252 families displaced by conflict in Maguindanao.

Rehabilitation projects include temporary shelter, construction of latrines, cash-for-work, emergency shelter assistance, shelter assistance, and livelihood assistance.

The DSWD also implemented the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP) for displaced people in Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and Shariff Kabunsuan in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and in Apayao and Abra in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The DSWD has also started implementing the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, aimed at establishing a database of households classified according to poverty level. The system intends to rationalize the allocation of government resources to those who most deserve assistance.

Cash aid program

The DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program provides monthly cash grants of as much as P1,400 to 700,000 poor families for their health, nutrition and education needs.

The agency’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) benefited 1,147,723 households in 5,543 barangays from 2003 to November 2009.

KALAHI-CIDSS supports community projects through fund releases to community project accounts, which are maintained by community volunteers.

From 2003 to November 2009, KALAHI-CIDSS funded 5,326 community projects amounting to P5.785 billion.

The community projects include basic social services such as classrooms, day care centers, water systems and rural health centers.

Since its implementation in 2003, the DSWD said the project has empowered poor communities by entrusting them with the responsibility of taking charge of the projects.

The DSWD said the Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) has pledged to allot funding for the expansion of KALAHI-CIDSS up to $120 million.

Spanish help

Last year, the Poder y Prosperidad dela Comunidad Project (PODER or Empowerment and Development of Communities), a special poverty alleviation project patterned after KALAHI-CIDSS, funded 59 projects worth P80 million, benefiting 21,530 households in 61 barangays.

With funding assistance from the Spanish government, through the Agencia Española dela Cooperacion Internacional Para el Desorollo, PODER covers 162 barangays, nine municipalities and five provinces in Regions III, V, and Caraga.

PODER has funded 275 projects worth P288 million benefiting more than 76,000 households since it started years ago.

These projects include 66 water systems, 42 day care centers, 40 school buildings/learning centers, 61 drainage and flood control systems, 21 health stations, 13 roads, 16 bridges, four irrigation systems, five post harvest facilities, and seven livelihood activities/productivity centers.

Food for School Project

Under the Food for School Project, the DSWD served more than 156,846 children from 5,331 day care centers in 2009.

The project provides food subsidy to poor families with children in day care centers. It is one of the components of the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Programs of the Arroyo administration. Day care children and their families receive one kilo of iron-fortified rice every school day.

The DSWD also implemented the Healthy Start Feeding Project (HSFP) which provided supplemental food to day care children aged three to five years old.

Plans for 2010

Cabral said her agency’s “commitment and dedication to service will continue to propel the Department in 2010, and in the years to come.

“As the DSWD celebrates its 59th Foundation Anniversary in January 2010, its workers will continue to make the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable Filipinos better by being there to provide them with their needs in times of critical situations and to lend a helping hand,” the DSWD secretary said.

“For 2010, one of the DSWD’s priorities is to ensure the steady implementation of the 4Ps given its expanded coverage and geographical reach,” she stated.

“Given the impending elections, DSWD is strengthening its advocacy efforts to inform legislators, and national and local chief executives, on the Department’s key programs and services, as well as critical legislations pending in Congress concerning social protection and children and youth, persons with disabilities and the elderly,” she said.

“Local government units, the private sector and non-government organizations have to be engaged at all levels to build the pillars of participatory governance. This is a challenge that the DSWD will have to take on,” she added. –Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)