PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday recognized the work and ac-complishments of the Department of Social Welfare and De-velopment (DSWD) over the past year, describing it as a “steady, reassuring presence” for many Filipinos, especially in times of calamities and crisis.
The President, during the 74th-anniversary celebration of the DSWD at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, acknowl-edged the different programs and services of the agency, from providing relief during calamities to helping save lives and promoting the welfare of indigent, vulnerable Filipinos.
Marcos said among these are the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) which helped struggling families to reach self-sufficiency and access to thriving livelihood opportunities.
He said more than 4.4 million families have benefitted from the 4Ps, which also saw 678,000 households graduating from pov-erty since the program started in 2008, while 271,000 families benefited from the SLP which aims to prevent families, espe-cially 4Ps graduates, from sliding back to poverty.
He said another program is the social pension for indigent sen-ior citizens which benefitted 4.3M indigent senior citizens. He also said that the social pension is a recognition of their contri-butions to the country.
The President also recognized the DSWD’s assistance to 7.4 million disaster-affected families in 2024 and the more than 540,000 families who were provided early recovery services.
“These numbers embody our commitment to stand with our people—swiftly, compassionately, and resolutely—through every stage of their recovery,” Marcos said.
During the event, he also reiterated his administration’s com-mitment to modernization and to ensuring government efficien-cy and accessibility through digitalization as he witnessed the activation of the DSWD’s new online systems – the Harmonized Electronic Licensing Permit System (HELPS), the Minors Trav-eling Abroad (MTA) system, and the Kaagapay Donations Por-tal.
“HELPS” is a virtual one-stop-shop for the agency’s regulatory services for social welfare and development agencies which is expected to streamline the agency’s procedures for the issuance of permits, licenses, and other documentation frontline services for licensed social welfare and development agencies (SWDAs), while MTA aims to hasten the issuance of travel permits for unaccompanied as well as ensure their safety and welfare during travels.
The Kaagapay Donations Portal is a website designed to pro-vide an online platform for donors to send their cash donations either to the DSWD for disaster relief operations and/or for in-kind and cash donations to DSWD centers and residential care facilities (CRCFs) and aims to enhance both operational effi-ciency and overall donor experience.
The President also signed the Pamilya sa Bagong Pilipinas’ Compendium which will help strengthen family development and welfare across different life stages.
The Compendium features the various transitions of family life across different life stages and integrates economic, social, and cultural support to help Filipino families grow and thrive while meeting their diverse needs and goals.
The chapters of the compendium feature three components, namely, the Bagong Pamilyang Pilipino; Bumabangon sa Gitna ng mga Hamon; and, Maunlad at Matatag na Pamilya.
The Bagong Pamilyang Pilipino component highlights interven-tions at the beginning of family formation, including the pro-grams and services available at the early stages of marriage or the union of couples.
The Bumabangon sa Gitna ng mga Hamon, on the other hand, refers to the social protection programs and services that aim to assist families to overcome crises or hurdles that they may en-counter as well as recognize the need for diverse family struc-tures such as single-parent families, same-sex parent families, blended families, and adoptive or foster families.
The Maunlad at Matatag na Pamilya component is tailored to encourage the growth of Filipino families through programs and services for economic empowerment such as skills training ini-tiatives, employment assistance, and financial literacy programs so that families will be able to manage their resources well.
The President said these various endeavors of DSWD re-flect a government that listens, a government that re-sponds, and a government that evolves to meet the needs of its people.
