Senate Minority Floor Leader Aquilino Pimentel cited two of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) new programs, saying the results of these initiatives should already be felt after two years of implementation.
The programs are the Pag-Abot Program, which helps families and individuals in street situations (FISS), and the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, an agency anti-hunger and poverty reduction effort.
“I hope that it is really effective and the test of the program is we will no longer see streetkids, street families dahil may nag-aalaga na sa kanila,” Senator Pimentel said after Senator Imee Marcos explained about the program at the Senate Plenary budget hearing on the DSWD’s proposed 2025 budget on Tuesday (November 19).
During an interpellation, Senator Pimentel asked which agency is responsible for assisting street children.
As the sponsor for the DSWD budget, Senator Marcos explained that the DSWD implements the Pag-Abot program.
“Ang Pag-Abot Program ang inilunsad ng DSWD para tugunan ang problema ng street children at street families. Hindi naman kaya ng mga LGUs na sagutan ang kanilang mga pangangailangan at pabahay, kaya nagbukod ng Php807 million para sa programa,” Senator Marcos told Senator Pimentel.
Senator Pimentel recognized that the Pag-Abot, which started in 2023, is the brainchild of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian.
“Noong sumali po si Secretary Gatchalian ay saka lamang po naipatupad ang Pag-Abot Program.
Ang mga LGUs ay nahihirapan at maraming mga pamilya ang nasa kalsada na walang bahay kaya nagkusa na lamang si Secretary Gatchalian at tuloy-tuloy na,” Senator Marcos pointed out.
Senator Marcos said the program components include transitory shelter, livelihood, employment, skills, capability building, and psychosocial.
This 2024, the program has assisted 741 individuals and 1,308 families, according to Senator Marcos.
“Mahigit 100 ang tauhan ng DSWD na walang ginawa kung di ikutan nang ikutan ang mga lansangan. Ang iba pabalilk-balik kaya wala ding tigil ang DSWD sa pagmo-monitor,” Senator Marcos pointed out.
On the WGP, Senator Pimentel said: “We wish you well here. We allotted Php1.89 billion for this initiative. I am interested in the written report… Since may assistance , kahit papaano ay may improvement.”
Senator Marcos noted improvements in the pilot beneficiaries, especially on their eating habits.
Pag-Abot is being implemented in Metro Manila to reach out to people living and staying on the streets and provide them with appropriate interventions and opportunities to improve their social and economic status and fulfill their fundamental rights.
DSWD’s WGP, created through Executive Order No. 44, aims to decrease the incidence of involuntary hunger experienced by Filipinos from low-income households.
Program beneficiaries are provided with electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards loaded with food credits amounting to Php3,000 to purchase a select list of food commodities.
The WGP also promotes behavioral change among food-poor families by teaching them how to prepare nutritious, delicious, and affordable meals.
The WGP aims to feed 1 million food-poor families by 2027. (MBM)
Tagalog Version
DSWD Pag-Abot Program, WGP pinuri ni Sen. Pimentel
Dalawa sa bagong programa ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) ang pinuna ni Senate Minority Floor Leader Aquilino Pimentel kung saan sinabi nitong epektibo ang programa matapos ang implementation nito.
Ang nasabing programa ay ang DSWD Pag-Abot Program, na tumutulong sa mga pamilya at indibidwal na sa nasa kalsada at ang Walang Gutom Program (WGP).
“I hope that it is really effective and the test of the program is we will no longer see streetkids, street families dahil may nag-aalaga na sa kanila,” sabi ni Senator Pimentel matapos ang paliwanag ni Senator Imee Marcos ang layunin ng programa sa ginanap na Senate Plenary budget hearing para sa proposed 2025 budget ng DSWD.
Sa ginanap na interpellation, tinanong ni Senator Pimentel kung anong ahensya ang responsible sa pagtulong sa mga street children.
Bilang sponsor ng DSWD budget, ipinaliwanag ni Senator Marcos na ang DSWD ang tumutugon sa implementasyon ng Pag-Abot program.
“Ang Pag-Abot Program ang inilunsad ng DSWD para tugunan ang problema ng street children at street families. Hindi naman kaya ng mga LGUs na sagutan ang kanilang mga pangangailangan at pabahay, kaya nagbukod ng Php807 million para sa programa,” sabi ni Senator Marcos .
Ang Pag-Abot program na sinimulan noong 2023, ay “brainchild” ni DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian.
“Noong sumali po si Secretary Gatchalian ay saka lamang po naipatupad ang Pag-Abot Program.
Ang mga LGUs ay nahihirapan at maraming mga pamilya ang nasa kalsada na walang bahay kaya nagkusa na lamang si Secretary Gatchalian at tuloy-tuloy na,” sabi ni Senator Marcos.
Nakapaloob sa nasabing programa ang pagbibigay ng transitory shelter, livelihood, employment, skills, capability building, at psychosocial.
May halos 741 individuals at 1,308 families, ang natulungan ng nasabing programa ngayon taon.
“Mahigit 100 ang tauhan ng DSWD na walang ginawa kung di ikutan nang ikutan ang mga lansangan. Ang iba pabalilk-balik kaya wala ding tigil ang DSWD sa pagmo-monitor,” sabi pa ni Senator Marcos .
Hinggil naman sa WGP, sinabi ni Senator Pimentel “We wish you well here. We allotted Php1.89 billion for this initiative. I am interested in the written report… Since may assistance , kahit papaano ay may improvement.”
Ang WGP, ay binuo sa pamamagitan ng Executive Order No. 44, na naglalayong bawasan ang kagutuman na nararanasan sa bansa.
Ang mga program beneficiaries nito ay binibigyan ng electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards na naglalaman ng food credits na Php3,000 upang magamit na pambili ng kanilang kailangan.
Layon ng WGP na mabigyan ng pagkain ang 1 million food-poor families pagsapit ng 2027.# (MVC)
