THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to open new satellite offices for the processing of its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program in Metro Manila and Bulacan province this week, as part of its efforts to reach and assist more people and hasten the delivery of financial aid to beneficiaries.
The DSWD’s announcement was made on the heels of the opening of its AICS satellite office in Rodriguez in Rizal on Monday.
The other AICS processing areas are at the DSWD Central Office in Batasan Road, which services the entire Quezon City and Northern Caloocan areas; and the DSWD Field Office — National Capital Region in Gastambide, Sampaloc, Manila that serve clients from the cities of Manila, San Juan, Mandaluyong and Makati.
DSWD Assistant Secretary for Community Engagement Uly Aguilar said putting up more IACS processing center aims to decongest the current existing payout areas, and to deliver services under AICS directly to beneficiaries from different parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Aguilar said the Camanava Satellite Office situated at the Victory Trade Plaza in Monumento and the Baclaran Satellite Office located at the Victory Food Market beside Baclaran Church will be operational starting Thursday, April 27.
The Camanava office will cater to clients from Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela, while the Baclaran office will attend to residents of Pasay, Parañaque, Muntinlupa, and Las Piñas.
The Eastern AICS office in Pasig City, and in Starmall in Barangay Kaypian San Jose del Monte (SJDM) City in Bulacan will become operational in May.
The IACS Eastern Satellite Office will cater to clients from Pasig, Marikina, Taguig and Pateros, while the Bulacan office will assist those from Norzagaray, Sta. Maria, Angat, and the city of San Jose del Monte.
DSWD said the remote processing areas are in line with the directive of President Marcos Jr. to help the poor and vulnerable in the easiest and fastest way possible.
AICS serves as a social safety net or a stop-gap mechanism to support the recovery of individuals and families from unexpected crises such as illness or death of a family member, natural and man-made disasters, and other crisis situations.
As this developed, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian formed the department’s Digital Transformation (DX) Team, which is composed of professionals and experts from various Information and Communications Technology (ICT) disciplines tasked to work on a wide range of innovative projects aimed at streamlining processes, enhancing accessibility, and improving efficiency.
The department is now inviting and vetting applications from experts and professionals in various fields, including those involved in full-stack web development, UI/UX design, software quality engineering, cybersecurity, data privacy, project management, and enterprise architecture, who are interested to become part of the DX Team.
“The DSWD leadership is committed to leveraging cutting-edge technologies to create a seamless, user-friendly experience for beneficiaries that will ultimately impact the lives of millions of Filipinos… The DSWD aims to hire professionals who possess a strong desire to foster positive change through technology and contribute to a brighter future for the vulnerable and marginalized sectors,” it said.
