Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman clarified that the provision of P4,000 rental aid to homeless families is not a strategy to hide them during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit next week.

“The P4,000 rental aid is a component of the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer for Homeless Street Families (MCCT-HSF) that began way back in 2012. This is contrary to claims that we are giving the amount just now in time for the APEC,” Sec. Soliman said.

“However, this amount is not given to the beneficiaries in the form of cash but are handed directly to lessors based on a contract agreement. The rental assistance is provided from six months to one year,” Sec. Soliman added.

MCCT-HSF is an expansion of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, which provides a complete package of assistance to street families, including responsive shelter program, access to social services, and economic opportunities for the improvement of their living conditions.  A total of 4,071 families have been registered in the program.

Also part of the MCCT-HSF is the reach out to street dwellers to assess them for possible inclusion the program. If they are not qualified for the program, they will be given access to other DSWD and LGU programs and services.

Role of LGUs

While the DSWD implements the MCCT-HSF, Sec. Soliman reiterated that LGUs and the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) still have the main responsibility of assisting street children and street families in their respective jurisdictions.

Chapter 2 Section 17 of the Local Government Code, otherwise known as the Devolution Law, mandates that LGUs efficiently provide social welfare services within their territorial jurisdictions, including programs and projects on child and youth welfare, family and community welfare, women’s welfare, welfare of the elderly and disabled persons; community-based rehabilitation programs for vagrants, beggars, street children, scavengers, juvenile delinquents, and victims of drug abuse; livelihood and other pro-poor projects; nutrition services; and family planning services.

Sec. Soliman said that as LGUs take the lead in the efficient provision of social welfare services, she assured them that the DSWD is still ready to provide technical assistance and resource augmentation to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of their programs and services.

Aside from program implementation like the MCCT-HSF, DSWD has also intensified its advocacy to help street children through the Twitter account @savestreetkids.  The public can report sightings of street children and street families to this account. ###