“We have to build strength from within. In DSWD, what we need apart from the strong will and commitment to fight corruption is to put up strong internal controls and accountability mechanisms which can help us to carry out our mission to provide prompt and compassionate service.”

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo made this declaration yesterday at the agency’s flag raising ceremony and launching of the “Project Ignite Integrity” spearheaded by the DSWD-Integrity Management Committee (IMC).

The project aims to fight corruption through awareness and education of DSWD staff, and the promotion of integrity and public trust within the Department and its attached agencies.

“We have to uphold and strictly implement useful procedures which include those that focus on recruitment, training, and active management of staff integrity, as well as ensuring the highest ethical standards by our leadership from the different  Central offices and bureaus, to Field Offices, to the executive leadership,”  Sec. Taguiwalo said.

Sec. Taguiwalo said that Pres. Rodrigo Duterte himself continues to give emphasis to the necessity to fight corruption in government and to hold public officials accountable for their actions when they are proven to be inimical to the public good. She said that the DSWD is serious in its fight against corruption and will do its best to establish and maintain its integrity so that it can perform its mandate to serve the poor with compassion and  promptness.

Moreover, the Secretary emphasized that corruption in the bureaucracy weakens the DSWD’s capacity to serve and provide assistance to more Filipinos and impairs the Department to fulfill its commitment to uphold the rights of the poor and marginalized.

“Ang taumbayan ang laging talo kapag may laganap na katiwalaan. Ang ating mga partner-beneficiaries ang nahihirapan at walang nakukuhang pakinabang sa mga buwis na kanilang binabayaran (The people always lose when there is widespread corruption. Our partner-beneficiaries are the ones who suffer because they gain no benefit from the taxes that they pay),” the Secretary added.

Through the project, Sec. Taguiwalo hopes that the trust of the public towards the government and its employees will be regained through transparency, accountability, and dedicated service to the Filipino people.

“Palaganapin natin at isa-isip at isa-puso ang mensahe na kailangang labanan ang katiwalian at hindi tama na tanggapin na lamang ito bilang isang bahagi ng kalakaran sa ating mga opisina at ahensya (We need to propagate and bear in our minds and hearts the need to fight corruption. Let us refuse to accept it as norm inside our offices and agencies),” Sec. Taguiwalo ended.  ###