DSWD kicks off Innovations Caravan bringing social protection programs closer to Filipinos, LGUs

 

Photos courtesy of DSWD

By Jimmyley Guzman 

MANILA (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday kicked off the Innovations Caravan in the National Capital Region (NCR), aimed at bringing social protection programs closer to Filipinos and local government units (LGUs).

Social welfare and development Secretary Rex Gatchalian led the caravan at the Aguilar Sports Complex in Las Piñas City, aimed to introduce and promote the department’s innovative programs and encourage LGUs to adopt or replicate the initiatives in their localities.

The move is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to bring the programs and services of the DSWD closer to the people.

According to DSWD, the caravan, which will also be rolled out in 12 regions, includes the department’s programs like the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program (TBTP), Angel Pets, Pag-abot Program, and Apo Ko: Kwento ni Lolo’t Lola, Gabay ng Kabataan.

Secretary Gatchalian said that the Walang Gutom Program, one of the flagship programs of the government, is aimed not only to end hunger but also to provide knowledge.

“Sa Walang Gutom Program, hindi lang tayo namamahagi ng food packages kundi binibigyan natin ang mga pamilya ng kaalaman upang makagawa ng mas maayos na food choices, para sa pangmatagalang kalusugan at nutrisyon,” said Gatchalian during the cook-off challenge among program beneficiaries.

(In the Walang Gutom Program, we not only distribute food packages but also provide families with the knowledge to make better food choices, for long-term health and nutrition.)

The “Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program” is the reformatted educational assistance of the DSWD, innovating financial support to families and youth while empowering young people to take an active role in nation-building as “Kabataan sa Bagong Pilipinas.”

Under Oplan Pag-Abot, social workers roam around the streets 24/7 to convince families and individual street dwellers to voluntarily come with the social workers to be given the proper intervention and assistance they need.

Since the program’s kickoff in the National Capital Region in July 2023, DSWD’s Pag-Abot teams have reached out to around 1,245 individuals.

The “Angel Pets” program offers animal-assisted therapy to women and children in the department’s residential care facilities. The program is in partnership with the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).  

Another innovative program of the DSWD, the “Apo Ko: Kwento ni Lolo’t Lola, Gabay ng Kabataan,” is designed to foster meaningful connections and mutual enrichment between older persons and children.

The program aims to preserve and pass down the rich Filipino heritage by allowing older persons from the DSWD’s centers and residential care facilities to share their knowledge and experiences related to cultures, traditions, and practices with young children aged four years old who are attending the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sessions or classes.

The caravans will also be rolled out soon in Regions II (Cagayan Valley), MIMAROPA, V (Bicol), VI (Western Visayas), VII (Central Visayas), VIII (Eastern Visayas), IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), X (Northern Mindanao), XII (SOCCSKSARGEN), CARAGA, and the Negros Island Region (NIR). (JEG/PIA-NCR)