The reach out to street families is part of the continuing effort of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) under the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer Program for Homeless Street Families (MCCT-HSF) and not part of the clearing operations for the upcoming 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Manila.

DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said that the reach out operation is a year-round, 24/7 effort of the Department together with local government units (LGUs), with street facilitators on the frontline.

“We are doing this because we really see the need to get these families off the streets considering the dangers that they are exposed to. We are doing this not only in Manila where the APEC will be held but also in other LGUs like Quezon City. Aside from health reasons and safety reasons, we also want to secure these vulnerable groups from being exploited by unscrupulous individuals,” Sec. Soliman said.

“It is their right to be protected and to be given services. This is why we continue to provide them with health, shelter, and educational assistance,” Sec. Soliman continued.

Sec. Soliman explained that during reach outs, the street families are taken to various DSWD centers and institutions as well as to LGU-managed facilities where they are interviewed, assessed, and profiled for possible inclusion in the MCCT-HSF. They will later on be oriented on their benefits and responsibilities under program.

The 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.  It also extends house rental assistance of up to P4,000 per month from six months to one year. To date, MCCT-HSF has 4,071 registered beneficiaries in the National Capital Region.

Sec. Soliman further explained that the P4,000 rental aid is not given to the beneficiaries in the form of cash but are handed directly to lessors based on a contract agreement.

“There is no truth to the claim of some sectors that the provision of P4,000 rental aid to homeless families is one strategy to hide them during the APEC. It is a component of the MCCT-HSF,” Sec. Soliman said.

Role of LGU, BCPC

While the DSWD implements the MCCT-HSF, Sec. Soliman clarified 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, mandates that LGUs efficiently provide of 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. ###