Aside from the provision of various assistance, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) newest initiative, the Oplan Pag-Abot Project, further aims to establish a central database of families, individuals, and children in street situations.

In an interview Tuesday (July 4) with Dexter Ganibe of News Breaker, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian underscored the importance of the database in improving the project as well as in monitoring the status of the reached-out families and individuals.

“Sa database na iyon, malalaman natin ilan ba talaga sila, saan sila nanggaling na probinsya, ano ang mga rason… Binubuo natin ang mga profile,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

(Through this database, we will determine how many families and individuals are in street situations, where they come from, and what is their reason … We are establishing their profile).

The DSWD Secretary pointed out that the database will also tell if the families and
individuals have already been reached-out before.

Through this database, the DSWD chief said the Department will be able to provide other interventions that best fit the needs of the clients so they will not be forced to come back to living on the streets.

According to Secretary Gatchalian, the Department is currently undertaking the establishment of the database through the administration of the client’s biometrics, and interview assessment at the designated processing center after the reach-out operations.

“Alam natin na one of the basic human rights is the right to have an identification (legal identity)… Unang hakbang na ito patungo doon. First time bibigyan sila on the spot pag-reach-out sa kanila, iba-biometrics, bibigyan ng ID,” the DSWD chief added.

(We know that part of the basic human rights is the right to identity. This is the first step towards this end. They will be given an identification card for the first time in their life after the DSWD’s reach out operations).

Secretary Gatchalian also emphasized that the issuance of IDs to families and individuals in street situations is part of the DSWD’s efforts to extend to marginalized sector the various social protection packages from the government.

“Kailangan palawigin natin ang social protection, o ang pag-aaruga ng estado sa mga mahihirap nating kababayan… iyong mga nakalimutan na. Sa Oplan Pag-abot layunin natin na abutin ang mga pamilya, at indibidwal, pati ang mga bata na nakatira sa lansangan para maramdaman nila ang kalinga ng pamahalaan,” the DSWD chief said.

(We need to expand social protection or extend the care of the government for poor Filipinos, those who have been left behind. In Oplan Pag-Abot, we aim to reach out to families and individuals, as well as those children who live on the street to make them feel valued by the government).

The DSWD, through its Oplan Pag-Abot Team, continues the reach-out operations in Metro Manila, providing families and individuals in street situations with necessary care and interventions. #