Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman clarified that street dwellers being reached out by the agency are provided access to different government programs and services, and not sent on vacation, contrary to a misattributed quotation that came out in a national broadsheet today.
“We continue to emphasize that families being rescued from the streets are brought in for orientation and possible inclusion in the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) Program. They are not taken to vacations,” Sec. Soliman emphasized.
The reach out operations is a year-round, 24/7 effort of the Department and the local government units (LGUs), with street facilitators on the frontline.
“We have been doing these initiatives since 2013, when MCCT was launched. Hence, it is not true that these are being done just because the country is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC). Moreover, we do not only cover Manila, but also other areas of Metro Manila,” she added.
The MCCT 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.
It also extends house rental assistance of up to P4,000 per month, which is paid directly to the lessor and not the families, for six months to one year.
To date, there are 4,408 MCCT-registered beneficiaries in the National Capital Region. Of this, a total of 3,954 families already have a place to stay in. The rest are still undergoing identification for Alternative Family Home (AFH).
Orientation
Sec. Soliman explained that during reach outs, the street families are taken to various DSWD centers and institutions or other training facilities where they are interviewed, assessed, and profiled for possible inclusion in the MCCT. They will later on be oriented on their benefits and responsibilities under the program, which include sending their children to school and visiting health facilities.
Activities during the orientation are meant to inculcate family values, strengthen family unity, and enhance roles of parents to ensure that they can protect and take care of the well-being of their children.
“We are doing this because we recognize the need to get these families off the streets considering the dangers that they are exposed to. Aside from health and safety reasons, we want them to dream again and realize that they have the option to leave the streets,” Sec. Soliman continued reiterating her consistent message in her media interviews and press statements.
Sec. Soliman likewise shared that 75 of the 100 street families who were part of the January family camp are now living in safe houses through the provision of financial assistance and AHF with sustainable livelihood. Their children are also enrolled under the Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education.
The rest have gone back to their provinces of origin or have returned to their homes in Metro Manila. ###
